Birth Of Angel
by TheWaywardKid
Summary: Evolution. It was in their very nature. From the beginning of life all the way up to the modern day, the mammals of the world had adapted over the centuries. Evolution. It's what had kept their story going. But change is not always welcome, and the future can be decided. When faced with the birth of Angel, which future would Zootopia choose? (Standalone sequel to "Animal Instinct")
1. The Law Of Nature

**AUTHOR'S PREFACE:**

 **Dear Reader,**

 **Out of respect for your interests, I'd like to take a moment of your time to briefly explain what to expect from "Birth of Angel". That way, you can better decide if this story is one in which you'd like to invest your precious time.**

 **First of all, "Birth of Angel" is technically a standalone sequel to a previous story of mine: "Animal Instinct". I am releasing this story separately for a few reasons, one of which is that it will work entirely on its own (hence "standalone"). If you decide to skip the original story you may miss out on some references, but the few important developments from "Animal Instinct" will be made clear to new readers. As long as you are fine with blindly accepting the starting positions of the characters, you can begin here if you so choose.**

 **Secondly, "Animal Instinct" was originally rated "M" (following this website's guidelines) due to some sexual material. It was NOT explicit/graphic, but was fairly suggestive at moments. When beginning to release "Birth of Angel", I wanted to make it "T". ("Animal Instinct" has since been toned-down on this site. The original version will be posted to AO3 once I have an account set up.)**

 **Third, "Birth of Angel" will have a much greater impact on the world of Zootopia. As such, it will have a slightly different tone than its predecessor. Further, it includes more world-building than the original, as well as some slightly experimental narrative choices. This story will again be a mix of Drama and Romance between a now-established WildeHopps.**

 **As with last time, I will mark the ending with an Author's Note once the story is complete. Otherwise, expect an update sometime in the future.**

 **Finally, I would be remiss if I didn't mention my muse for this sequel! After completing "Animal Instinct", I wasn't sure I had another story to tell. However, this plot came to me when I was listening to "Dangerous" by "Two Steps From Hell" (my favorite composers). They don't often write stuff with lyrics, but I highly recommend checking out the song. The intro/climax was heavily inspired by it.**

 **As always, thanks to my readers and reviewers for the support! You make this worth it.**

 **-TheWaywardKid**

* * *

CHAPTER ONE:

" _THE LAW OF NATURE"_

* * *

Blaring.

Incessant.

Shrill.

These were all words her precious creations might use to describe the cacophony echoing throughout the pristine halls of the hospital wherein Mother Nature currently sat, the noise being accompanied by bright flashes of light. It was yet another of their ingenious little creations, this "fire alarm". If she were mortal, Nature would have to agree that it did indeed suggest a sense of urgency! But as it always was, she had nothing to fear. She sighed and watched the droplets of water trickle across the display of the clock in front of her, the sprinklers above dousing the hallway with a slick layer of water. The time was 7:32am – the dawn of a new winter day.

 _Any minute now,_ she thought as she looked down the hallway. _The stage is set._

She felt a little guilty peeking ahead in the story like this, but... As caretaker of her little world, there were times she simply needed to make sure things would turn out the way she planned. This was certainly one of those times. As though conducting an orchestra, Nature gave an authoritative wave to the end of the hallway; at that very moment a gray rabbit came barreling around the corner with a roll of cloth in her arms. Two small and rounded ears were draping out of the bundle.

"No! Stay away from her!"

The rabbit sprinted down the hallway toward Mother Nature, its mortal eyes unable to notice her. She saw a deep, determined fear within the purple of those eyes. She could empathize with the creature – it was a maternal fear. This rabbit was a mother, just like her...

With another wave, a pawful of angry mammals rounded the corner behind the bunny, chasing the mother down. They had little chance against their target, the panicked doe easily faster than any of the pursuers behind. Nature gave a wistful smile, knowing what these mortals did not – the dizzying screams of the fire alarm drowned out the sounds that might have warned the mother of the danger approaching ahead. With a third wave aimed in the direction the rabbit was running, another threat made its appearance and cut her off. This one held a gun.

The rabbit planted her feet into the ground – attempting to halt her sprint and bolt into a nearby room – but the floor was slippery from the water. One second the mother was waving her arms in a futile effort to keep her balance, and the next she was on the ground. The gun raised. It fired, the doe's body lurching with a pitiful squeal. Her blood quickly mixed with the water beneath her, and again the gun was aimed...

 _That's enough._

Mother Nature stood up, the scene stopping in time as she did so. Water droplets hung in the air like hundreds of jewels, glistening in the frozen flash of light within the hallway.

 _Such beauty amidst such pain..._

She did not need to see more of this. The performance had played out as expected; that would be enough. It was clear the equation would work, despite some unfortunate circumstances. What had been that phrase her children tended to use?

 _You can't make an omelet without breaking a few eggs._

She laughed, shaking her head. It always amazed her how creative her children could be in their attempts at understanding an existence far beyond their capacity to comprehend. To them, it would be like watching a blind animal try to describe sight and, somehow, miraculously succeed! These mortal beings touched lightly upon the truth, yet lacked the ability to truly understand what it was their paws touched. It was a flaw she had designed herself – one of many. Their unexpected aptitude at _circumventing_ that particular flaw always made her _very_ proud.

 _Truly it is their imperfections which make them perfect... The mammal without a flaw has the greatest flaw of all: Having none._

Nature walked past the gruesome, timeless statues and made her way to a nearby window. A few stories below, motionless tongues of flame licked at the base of the building. Rioting animals of all breeds dotted the ground like figures on a chess board – the cause of the current commotion. This was part of the plan, too; from the ashes of hatred Nature intended to grow a new era for her precious children. The turmoil was not an obstacle, but rather a cog in the wheel of her grand machine: The violent mammals on display before her were attacking the hospital in her name.

 _Oh how mistaken they are! But every piece has its place..._

Mother Nature had watched as her creations had formed their religions across the centuries, each one containing crucial pieces of her universal truths. It was yet one more way these mortal creatures attempted to reach past their limits. But... their revelations were never whole, always tainted by the bias of their transient, singular existences. For every gem of enlightenment there would be a corresponding scar of misunderstanding. They would assume Nature's intent in situations where she had none. It was hilarious, really! What was another of those phrases they liked to use?

 _Can't see the forest for the trees._

These religions formed lists of tenets which claimed to be the definitive Laws of Nature. Depending on the facets and history of the given culture, these "Laws" were always formed from perspective and tradition (such as from habits relevant to self-preservation in days gone by). These "Laws" persisted under the assumption that what had worked before would _continue_ to work. If acting a certain way had kept these animals alive _so_ far, who was to say it wasn't Nature's intention to continue to do so?

In truth, Mother Nature only had one law: The Law of Evolution.

Nature let her surroundings fade into nothingness, letting herself drift backward into the ebb and flow of the ocean of time. She relaxed as she floated, content with her work so far. Some of her children called her an artist, painting the world for all to enjoy; others called her a scientist or a mathematician, performing cold experiments on reality's denizens; still others called her a ruler, passing judgment on all who lived within her dominion. None of these proclamations were true.

 _Or, perhaps, they all are,_ she thought wryly.

If there were one mortal profession that could accurately describe Mother Nature, it would be that of a storyteller. She told the greatest story of all: The story that wrote itself – the story that told its _own_ stories. Life was an infinite web of tales, all weaving together in incomprehensible ways. Every strand was important in some way or another.

 _I love them all, my precious characters._

A good story needed the wonderful, the ugly... the highs and the lows. It needed grief, and love, and victory, and defeat. It needed champions of the light, and demons of the dark. Like the ocean of time itself, Existence demanded the ability to flow – to calmly rest one day, and crash its waves the next. And so Mother Nature bestowed her one fixed rule upon Existence: The consistent presence of Change. A good story always needed to evolve and grow. A story that did not adapt would grow stagnant and die. A story without change was not a story at all...

 _And what a story this has been!_

Nature proudly peered into the ripples of time. She watched once more as her first creations made their mark upon the world so many thousands of years ago. Each species followed her Law of Evolution from the start, changing and adapting to their environments in new and fascinating ways! Some developed sensitive ears to better survey their surroundings. Others learned to climb so that they might pick the fruit from the trees. One by one, each animal developed their own specialties, filling in the gaps of blank canvas that had been Nature's world... It was a magnificent sight to behold!

 _But what would a story be without a little drama?_ she had thought at the time.

And so there were the rare few that developed more... _ferocious_ tactics. These mammals became the first predators, hunting the others around them. Despite their lower numbers they quickly became the kings of their kingdoms, their might unrivaled by those they ate. The world was divided in two: Vicious predator, or meek prey. Fear... treachery... _blood-lust_... Thousands of years ago, _these_ had been the forces that had ruled that world.

But change was inevitable, and after some time the story turned to a new chapter. Mother Nature's children began to stand and walk on two feet, forming languages and societies. It was a new era, one of advancement and exploitation. Her creations learned to conquer and harness their environments rather than simply live in them. Soon after, the first weapons were invented.

 _Wow, did that flip the story around!_

With the dawn of weapons, prey were now on equal footing with their predator enemies. Predators had lost their advantage and, more importantly, were greatly outnumbered. The hunters became the hunted, despised for their savage history. Nature wouldn't have been surprised had the prey decided to wipe them out, but... This was an age of entrepreneurship. The prey quickly realized that the predators had some useful skills they lacked. Like the raging power of the rivers and the vast expanse of the plains, they decided that this too could be harnessed for their personal gain.

The predators became enslaved.

Keeping the predators was initially quite the task. First and foremost had been the problem regarding how to _feed_ them. Agriculture quickly advanced past the growth of crops – insects and poultry had not evolved into sentience, becoming an easy source of meat for the carnivorous captives. So too were fish a good source of protein for the slaves, leading to the invention of boats and the rise of seafaring.

 _And soon, the entire world was conquered._

As cultures met and mingled, ideas were shared. Technology quickly advanced, giving rise to faster transport, communication, and electronics. After centuries of time, tensions between predators and prey had waned. The captors saw their slaves as less of a threat; some of them even began to sympathize with the beasts! A great war was fought over the matter, and finally a compromise had been settled upon.

The predators would wear special collars.

These collars were designed to keep their supposedly-savage instincts at bay, giving them harsh electrical shocks whenever any emotion was deemed too intense. It was a needless, painful invention, but it bought the predators their first taste of freedom in hundreds of years. With that freedom blossomed a new relationship with their former sources of food: For the first time in history, predators and prey began to work together.

With all animals now tentatively united in purpose, Mother Nature's children embarked on designing their greatest achievement yet. They poured all of their knowledge and effort into the cause, designing one gigantic city where all mammals could live _together_. Thus rose the wonder that was Zootopia.

 _And with it, the promise of the city would be tested._

Her children would have to define what the word "together" really meant. As primal memories of the hunt faded further in their minds, predators began to rebel against the constraints that had been placed upon them. One voice resonated among predator and prey alike like no other before: Martin Leopard King Junior.

...The collars were no more.

With predators and prey finally allowed to live as true equals, all it took was a little nudge to finish the transition. For this purpose, Mother Nature introduced Nicholas Wilde and Judith Hopps. The heroics of the two in bringing down Bellwether began to usher in a new era of peace for the city of Zootopia, the stunning image of the pair serving as a perfect example of how all mammals could live as partners.

 _Or even more..._ Nature chuckled. _I still have some work to do._

She sank back into the waters of time, appearing on the first day of winter somewhere in the middle of Tundratown – the corner of Aurora Avenue and Borealis Boulevard. At the spot stood a certain sarcastic red fox, holding a bouquet of flowers and a heart-shaped box of chocolates. A sappy gesture, even from him.

 _He is the key,_ thought Nature as she stared approvingly at the male. _This fox and his rabbit... Together they will be my start to a new chapter._

Yes, she could still see the microscopic specks of blue in his bloodstream (remnants of a prior struggle). Unbeknownst to the fox, the chemicals of the Night Howlers had never fully left his system. Even now they were slowly reshaping his DNA, kicking the hidden, adaptive genes of his ancestors into overdrive. A single drop of blood fell from his nose and stained the white snow at his feet. Nick sniffed his nose and checked the time, oblivious to the changes within. Mother Nature smiled, dipping a pen into the starry ink of history.

 _This is going to be fun!_

Eagerly, she began to write.

...Nature had found a way.


	2. Tis The Season

CHAPTER TWO:

" _'TIS THE SEASON"_

* * *

The warm drop of blood slowly sank deeper into the nighttime snow. Nick sniffed in defiance, doing his best to disallow his body to continue. Having a bloody nose _now_ would be inconvenient timing, to say the least.

 _I may just have to get this checked out..._ he reluctantly admitted, usually being one who avoided the vet at all costs. _And they'll just tell me it's some bug or something, bill me, and send me on my way._

He had insurance through his job at the ZPD, though, so the prospect was a little less distasteful than it would've been in the past. More and more he was being forced to admit that there was something to be said for having a little peace of mind. Idle comfort was still a concept his street instincts told him to be wary of, however.

 _Can't let myself get too soft, after all._

It was then that the fox recalled the colorful bouquet of cornflowers in his one paw and the heart-shaped box of chocolates in his other. The items had come from "Raynard's", a popular fox shop known for its romantic selections during this time of year. Nick's ears bent backwards in a look of resigned self-disgust.

 _...Dammit._

Nick checked the time – Judy would be arriving any minute! After their shift had ended he'd invited the bunny to meet him here at the aptly-named Northern Lights Station, a subway stop located right next to Taiga Park. A new stubborn sense of male pride flooded Nick's system, his eyes darting between the two incriminating pieces of evidence in his paws. Nick eyed a trashcan located next to the stairs exiting the subway. Unable to bring himself to throw the gifts away, he instead opted to place the signs of weakness behind the can, somewhat out of sight. He'd made the decision not a moment too soon; a familiar, feminine voice called out to the fox from the bottom of the subway stairs.

"Hey there, Red!" Judy was bundled up in a puffy pink coat with white mittens.

Nick had thicker fur, so he only needed his brown turtleneck and green scarf. The tod called back down at the doe as she made her way up the stairs to him. "Wait just a minute, Officer Fluff. We talked about this."

"Yes we did." Judy finished walking up the last couple steps. "And _I_ say the name works. You are technically a red fox."

The bunny had stopped too close to the trashcan for Nick's liking. Crossing his legs and leaning an elbow on the can in an uncomfortable attempt at a nonchalant pose, Nick tried to block her vision as he smeared one of his characteristic smiles onto his face. "Wow... What a specist nickname, Carrots! I mean, _really_. I should be offended."

Judy raised her eyebrow at him in an amused, accusatory fashion. The fox simply sank deeper into his obnoxious grin. _Ohhhhh, trust me... I know pre-cise-ly what I just said!_

But the banter had apparently only delayed the inevitable: The rabbit's eyes seemed to lock onto something behind Nick's tail. The fox's smile nervously faltered for half a second as he tried to shift his feet in front of her vision, but it was to no avail. With one tilt of her head, Judy again caught a glimpse of the cornflowers behind him. He needed a new plan, and fast.

Nick made a show of following her line of sight, bringing his paws up in feigned surprise when he came across the flowers. "My _gosh!_ What are _those_ doing there? I can't believe somebody would just _leave_ those here!" - he began to mark each word with a disappointed shake of his head - "What... a... waste."

The fox slowly looked back up at Judy and found that she hadn't bought a single word. His smile turned timid and toothy: He'd been caught, and there was no way out of this now.

 _Yeah... I wouldn't have bought any of that drivel either._

Nick bent down and picked up the gifts, unceremoniously offering them to the rabbit with outstretched arms. It looked almost as though he were holding something toxic, trying to keep them as far away from himself as possible. "Um... here."

"Gee. Thank you. How gallant." She took the gifts, teasing him for his behavior. She was smiling, though, which made Nick happy all the same. "Don't tell me you dragged me all the way out here just to give me these."

...That had _precisely_ been his plan. Today was the first day of winter, and with the climate-controlled districts of Zootopia being what they were... Tundratown was the only place that actually _felt_ like it.

"Uh... well, I thought we might also take a walk?" He meekly gestured to the nearby park, small snowflakes just beginning to drift down around them. The fox's smile became even more toothy and unsure. "I hear it's nice right now...?"

Judy gave him a steady, silent look. He knew it well. It was the expectant look she often gave mammals when on the job, knowing the awkward silence would break down their very souls until they eventually gave her the information she wanted. It worked like a charm. Nick sighed, rubbing the scruff of his neck in embarrassment. "Happy Saint Vulpintine's Day, Judy..."

 _So much for not being soft..._

"Awww! Thank you!" She'd caught his sincerity, surprising him with a tender hug. "I mean it. They're lovely."

Nick relaxed and rubbed the back of her head with one of his large paws, his face pleased. "Good. I've never, uh... had anyone to share the day with before. I know chocolate and flowers is a bit _sappy_ , but... I figured maybe they're classic for a reason?"

"Well, I _like it!"_ Judy stretched her arms out from his chest, slightly separating the pair. Her smile was infectious. "You're going to have to fill me in, though. What exactly are we celebrating, again?"

Nick was slightly confused, then realized his mistake. "Oh. _Right_. Saint Vulpintine's Day. There's some boring history around it I can't remember, but... It's a fox thing. It celebrates the beginning of winter."

 _Heavens, is she beautiful!_ He took a second to trace a digit along one of her ears and then continued with a loving stare. "It's... It's the start of our mating season."

"...Oh." Judy swallowed. "I... didn't know."

Nick chuckled, his paw feeling the hot embarrassment filling her ears. "That's okay, Fluff. I wouldn't expect you to. As I understand it, you bunnies kind of have a sort of, uh... _off_ season rather than an _on_ season, right?"

 _Explains a lot, actually,_ he mused, allowing himself to briefly recall some rather intimate memories.

"Okay now, _see?"_ Judy stepped back, ears partly drooped in self-disgrace. "Why did you know _that_ about me, when I never even bothered to know that about _you?_ I'm terrible..."

"Terribly _cute_ , maybe." Nick ruffled the top of her head and ears, taking advantage of her shame to use the forbidden word without repercussion. "Lighten up, Carrots. Of course I would look it up! But it was purely selfish, I assure you. I needed to know my mark, after all."

Playfulness found its way back into the rabbit's voice. "Oh, so I'm just a _mark_ now, am I?"

"Of course, Fluff. And an easy one, too." The fox slipped back into a smarmy smile. "I'm not sure you've realized it yet, but I've already got from you what I wanted."

" _Right_... And what would that be, precisely?" Her voice was part suspicious, part challenging.

Nick leaned in until his nose touched hers.

"Your heart."

The bunny began clutching her throat and gagging, faking the urge to vomit. "Geez, Nick! That line was _awful!_ Even for _your_ standards... You should be ashamed of yourself!"

 _It's called a hustle, sweetheart,_ he inwardly bragged.

"No. Seriously. I have your heart." Nick leaned back and held up the heart-shaped box of chocolates, his smug grin growing worse. "Some of these have blueberry cream filling, you know."

Judy put her paws on her hips and huffed, unsure whether to be annoyed or impressed. Her eyelids squinted slightly. "Sly fox..."

Nick raised his eyebrows in enjoyment. "Dumb bunny."

That was his cue to bolt, laughing hysterically as the flustered rabbit gave chase behind him. The fox made it as far as the entrance to Taiga Park before he was caught, unable to put up much of an effort due to his laughter. Judy tackled his side, almost throwing the larger mammal off his feet. Nick took his punishment in stride, eventually relinquishing the box of chocolates and bringing an arm around Judy's shoulder as they began to make their way into the park. The tall, densely-packed pines and spruces enveloped the image of the couple as they made their way down one of the trails. Taiga Park was the largest park in Zootopia, its massive forest playing a large part in keeping the air of the city nice and clean.

 _Mmmmm... I need to come out here more often,_ thought Nick, relishing the spicy scents of the greenery around him. His ears flicked toward a munching sound coming from his side, finding his bunny happily nibbling on her bouquet of cornflowers. "Good choice, then?"

Judy murmured a sound of approval, nestling herself deeper into the tod's side as she continued her snack. The calm, dampened silence of the snowy park only served to heighten their awareness of each other; Nick could hear the little heartbeat of his fierce bunny. He sighed with contentment, lazily watching his warm breath dissipate in the frigid air. Perhaps going soft wouldn't be such a bad thing after all...

As they began to approach a crossroads of trails, Judy finally broke the silence of their pleasant stroll. "So... mating season, huh?"

"Mm-hm." Nick affectionately rubbed her shoulder with his paw, an inaudible, happy rumble emanating from his chest.

Judy tilted her head up at the fox with a circumspect expression. "You're not going to get all... _clingy_ on me, are you?"

As if to answer her question, a male arctic fox crossed in front of the pair at the intersection ahead, unaware of the two as it listened to the music coming from its earbuds. Before he could think, Nick found himself tightening his grip on his rabbit, instinctively wrapping his tail around her waist in a possessive posture. He glared at the oblivious rival.

 _That's right, buddy... Keep walking..._

Judy's jaw opened in disbelief at the display.

"Heh..." Nick became chagrined, an uncomfortable self-awareness settling in. He let go of the bunny and unwound his tail. "I, uh, make no promises, Carrots. I'm... pretty new at this."

 _Geez... Finnick wasn't kidding!_ Nick made a mental note to apologize to the fennec for the years of harassment he'd given the little fox, blissfully ignorant to the primal pressure of mating season at the time. _This is torture!_

Judy laughed, reaching out to grab his arm. She guided his appendage back around her shoulder, then did the same with his tail and her waist. The reformation of the embrace did wonders to ease Nick's mind. The rabbit looked up at him with a proud look on her face. "Just try to keep it in control, okay?"

The tod nodded, leaning down to give a quick peck on top of her head.

"Good." As they neared a bench, a mischievous look twinkled in her purple eyes. "After all, I'd hate to have to find myself a new male. Although there _was_ that handsome fox back there..."

A growl spontaneously erupted from Nick's throat. _I'd like to see him try..._

Judy jumped in surprise, dumbfounded by the outburst. She froze and faced her fox, true concern entering her voice. "Is... is this going to be a problem?"

Nick raised a digit of his paw and was about to protest, but then the saner part of his mind became concerned too. His paw hesitated in the air. They still had their jobs... His rabbit was going to be around _hundreds_ of other males! All day. _Every_ day. And he was going to be right beside her as she interacted with them. He knew his newfound territorial urge was wrong... _unreasonable,_ and yet...

He became just as startled as she. His pupils shrank, and his ears raised. "I don't know. I really _don't know_ , Fluff."

The two sat down on the park bench, breathless and tense, staring straight into the trees. Their paws rested on their thighs. The formerly intimate silence of the snow-blanketed forest now served to accentuate the new awkwardness between them. They watched the snowflakes drift down onto the glistening, white floor as each struggled with their thoughts. Judy quickly became frustrated with whatever she was thinking, determination solidifying on her face. She scooted across the bench and hopped onto her fox's lap, nuzzling her head into the soft fur of his neck. The rabbit looked up at him invitingly. "Nick...?"

Nick gladly took the invitation, scent-marking her as he rubbed his neck on her head. The world melted away (and with it, his tension) as the predator reasserted his claim on the female cuddling against him. His heartbeat slowed and his breath calmed. Judy requited the claim, turning her neck to mark him in return. The moment was pure heaven to the fox; it was the exact release his instincts had unknowingly craved...

Judy could sense her success. She reached up and pawed his snout to turn toward her, giving a gentle smile. "See? We'll make this work."

 _She just never gives up, does she?_ Nick's chest swelled with warmth for his rabbit. _Not on the world... Not on us. How did I ever manage without her?_

A surprising, wonderful idea trickled into the tod's head! Perhaps it was the season talking, but at the moment he didn't really care – he found himself desperate to share it. He held her cheeks with his large, dark paws and stared intently into her amethyst eyes. He spoke.

"Move in with me."

* * *

 **Author's Note: This scene originally used lilies (not cornflowers). I had spent much more time researching what flowers rabbits could eat than I'd like to admit, and I'd come up with nothing but conflicting answers. Thanks goes to "RemyW" for giving me a resource on the matter which I could trust! Details are important.**


	3. Where The Heart Is

CHAPTER THREE:

 _"WHERE THE HEART IS"_

* * *

An emotionless female voice spoke over the heavy sound of the rain pelting the roof of the convertible, its robotic intonation briefly interrupting the song that had been playing on the radio moments prior:

"In three-hundred feet, stay in the right-paw lane and turn left onto Mowgli Drive."

Judy dragged her attention away from the water streaking across her window to look at Nick, the lights of the road flashing across his sharp features as they passed each one by. Aside from the low murmur of the radio and the pattering of the rain, they rode in silence as her fox concentrated on his driving. The pair had made a deal which Judy was now thankful for as they weaved their way through the dark, slick streets of the Rainforest District: Judy would drive during the day and Nick would drive at night. It turned out Nick's aviators weren't just for show – the fox's eyes were a little too sensitive to the typical daytime glare of the city. Further, come nightfall his eyes were far superior to hers.

"Turn left," directed the voice.

Nick shot a brief grin at Judy as he made the turn, then resumed squinting down the road ahead. The windshield wipers rapidly swished across his vision. Water flew to the sides in sheets.

"Continue straight on Mowgli Drive for five-hundred feet. Your destination will be on the right."

Judy began to pay more attention to the neighborhood as Nick drove them closer and closer to their destination, evaluating their surroundings. After deciding to move in together, the pair had concluded that neither of their apartments were really suitable for the idea; not only were their places too small for two mammals, but... they'd both picked their accommodations based on convenience and price, not comfort. Neither apartment felt like a _home_.

 _And being with Nick is... is being home._

The sincerity of that thought choked her slightly, the intensity of the truth still a bit too real to fully fathom... For a couple weeks now they had been embarked on a quest to find a _real_ place. For the _two_ of them. It would be a place in which to live, rather than simply rest. A place with a _future_. The bunny and her fox, moving out of their dingy dwellings and into their first shared home...

It was a statement.

Their lives meant more to them together than they had apart.

"You have arrived."

Nick slowly pulled his tan convertible into the parking lot of the apartment complex, his headlights briefly illuminating the sign which read "Jungle Brook Village" as they made the turn. The complex offered covered parking – giant leaves woven together to form a canopy elevated by ornately-carved totem pillars. The tod found one of the vacant guest spaces and parked in it, his face already mirroring the hopeful thoughts Judy herself was thinking.

 _So far, so good,_ she thought with a twitch of anticipation. _Already better than the last place!_

Nick clearly had been recalling yesterday's prospect as well, turning his head to face the rabbit with an unsure tone in his voice. "What do you think, Carrots? Food before, or after?"

It was an important question; they'd been making these trips after work, bringing takeout to eat on their excursions. The sustenance helped with the decision-making process, but it was becoming quite apparent that not all apartments were created equal. _Yesterday's_ apartment had made them both wish they hadn't eaten before entering...

"...Before," she responded after a moment of pause. "I'm getting a good feeling about this place."

The fox relaxed a bit at this confirmation, reaching into the back seat for their meal. "Same."

Nick put the plastic bag between them, inside which were two foil-wrapped burritos, some napkins, and a pawful of hot sauce packets. They quickly began to divvy the contents. Today had been a long day. The two animals had been scent-marking each other far more frequently as of late to ease the pressure off of Nick's season, but finding the right time was tricky. They had tried to keep it as low-key as possible... sneaking marks during breaks, during paperwork when nobody was looking... but the Chief had caught wind of it anyway (so to speak). Bogo had called them to his office to correct them, threatening to split the pair if they couldn't keep their relationship professional while on duty. His hostile disciplining had lost a lot of its usual steam, though, when Nick apologized and bluntly admitted he was in his season. Whether due to the rare apology from the fox or some sort of unspoken male sympathy, Chief Bogo had quickly eased his tone and dismissed them with a warning to be more discreet.

...They also had left the office with a rough day of parking duty.

Judy was already chewing her first eager bite of her "Grazer Grande" burrito by the time Nick had finished drawing a line of hot sauce on the top of his "Cricket Crunch Supreme". A pleased moan escaped her chest, the vegetables tasting especially flavorful and crisp to the starving rabbit! She paused to watch her partner size up his meal, then sink his canines into the wrap with predatory abandon. Judy restrained a shiver.

 _I'm still not used to that..._ she shamefully admitted, shrugging off the deeply-rooted prey instincts trying to disturb her. The bunny had recently begun making a habit of glancing at the fox as he ate, attempting to acclimate her gut to the sight.

As Judy took another gluttonous mouthful of her dinner, she caught a confused look on her fox's muzzle. He slowly finished chewing his first bite, swallowed, and proceeded to stare into the burrito with disappointment. After holding the burrito up to the light at various angles, Nick daintily inspected the opening with a claw. Judy finished savoring her current bite.

"Something wrong?" she finally asked once her mouth was free to talk.

"Oh... nothing serious." Nick's ears drooped slightly as he scrunched his mouth to one side in resignation. "They just gave me the wrong order."

Judy giggled a little at his childlike dismay, knowing how much the tod looked forward to his crickets from all the times he'd ordered them at the precinct's favorite bar. She couldn't resist the perfect opportunity to tease. "That's too bad, because _my_ burrito is _delicious!_ "

The rabbit took a third bite of her burrito for emphasis, her gaze locked onto Nick's face with a gloating grin. What she saw next was not the playful frustration she had expected, however. No, Nick was well and truly shocked at the sight. He almost looked... nervous? Judy stopped chewing, her eyes following the direction in which his paw was currently pointing...

"Um, Carrots?" His voice wavered with uncertainty, eyes darting between the bunny and her food. "I'm pretty sure _your_ burrito is actually, uh... _my_ burrito."

Judy looked inside her burrito for the first time, the sight initially failing to register with her. After all, she _couldn't_ be eating crickets. She was a rabbit. Rabbits don't eat crickets, therefore she wasn't eating them. Simple, really, aside from the fact that she was staring at a burrito filled with the crunchy bugs. Bugs which, somehow, beyond belief, she had mistaken as crisp vegetables. _Delicious_ , crisp vegetables. A cold sense of mortification breezed across her body as she looked back up at Nick with stunned, wide eyes.

"Can't say I've ever seen _that_ before..." Nick raised an eyebrow and cocked one ear, his voice a peculiar mix of amusement and concern. "Are you okay?"

No. Of course she wasn't okay. A normal rabbit wouldn't have eaten a single bite of the burrito held between her paws, let alone _three!_ A normal rabbit would've noticed the taste. Spat it out. Certainly a normal rabbit wouldn't have _enjoyed_ it... Judy recalled the bite of burrito that was still within her mouth and immediately set about doing what she thought any normal rabbit would do!

...She swallowed.

And before she could stop herself, her tongue absentmindedly licked her lips. That was the last straw.

"I'm a _freak!"_ she squealed in horror, launching the burrito into the air as she threw her face into her paws.

Nick frantically lunged and caught the burrito before it could make a mess all over the car. Disaster avoided, he returned his attention back to trying to mollify his distraught bunny. "You're not a freak, Carrots..."

 _Really?_ Judy's inner voice was sarcastic; she gave the fox a cynical glare. _Because last time I checked, rabbits aren't carnivorous!_

Nick relented his candor, falling back upon his tried-and-true sly charm. His smile mocked her in the classic Nicholas Wilde way. "Okay, yes. You're a freak. A big one! Ah, well, _figuratively speaking,_ of course. Not physically..."

 _Not helping, Wilde..._ Her glare worsened.

"I'm not really seeing the surprise, though." Nick leaned back, his smirk gaining a lewd tint. "I know of a particular piece of meat you're quite eager to taste on a regular basis..."

Judy's ears went stiff as a board, bright red searing their insides. With a burrito held in each paw, Nick had no defense; she began her bunny bombardment with gusto. _You snide little..._

"Ow! Hey! Okay, okay! Truce!" Nick yipped in pain and laughter, pleading for mercy. "What is your problem? Does abusing me somehow make you feel better about your own insane life?"

She crossed her arms. "It does. One-hundred percent."

"Freak."

Judy groaned, clutching her ears in front of her face with embarrassment. "Yes..."

Nick leaned in and nuzzled her ears out of the way. "But at least you're _my_ freak."

 _That was corny, Nick. But I'll go for it..._ The bunny let her worries subside and put her paws on his snout, bringing the tod in for a kiss. As their tongues and teeth mingled, Judy found herself suddenly inspired to give a quiet growl. Nick growled back and broke the contact, smacking his lips.

"Mmm! Crickets!" His ears were up and he wore a toothy grin. "Sexy!"

"Shut up." Judy's tone was stern, but she found herself smiling nonetheless. "Just... shut up."

The pair shared a knowing look. "Whatever you say, Officer Hopps."

Judy sighed. Sparing a tempted look at the "Cricket Crunch Supreme", the rabbit finally grabbed the "Grazer Grande" from Nick's paw and began to nibble at her meal with reduced enthusiasm. Nick slipped her a suspicious, sidelong glance but said nothing, shrugging his shoulders as he finally began to dig into his own dinner. The crunching coming from beside her started to remind Judy too much of her predatory mistake; reaching a paw out to the dash of the vehicle, she turned up the volume of the radio to drown out the sound. The music had since been replaced with a summary of the day's news, Finnick's deep voice announcing the next story:

"...And it would seem that love is again in the air of Zootopia! After the rather public display between officers Hopps and Wilde many months ago, more and more prominent interspecies couples are coming out of the woodwork to declare their affections! Latest to join the list is three-time Zoolympic long-jump champ Meredith Hareiot! Or should we say... Meredith _Savage?_ That's right, the hare has just announced her engagement to Salvador Savage, billionaire founder of the famed Savage Furmaceuticals. When asked to comment on the nuptial announcement earlier this morning, the white tiger had _this_ to say..."

A rather dignified, well-spoken voice began to play over the radio, the clear clicks of cameras repeating in the background:

"...Meredith and I have secretly loved each other for quite some time. When predators were turning savage throughout the city, I... I was simply beside myself, to put it mildly. I looked at her, and I thought... I thought, how could I possibly hurt her? I refused to believe it! I'm afraid I must confess: When I had my company develop the antidote, it was purely for selfish reasons – to protect my Meredith. She is my better half. She has been so for many years. And perhaps now... now Zootopia can _accept_ that."

A large, dark paw reached for the radio dial and turned it off. Judy looked up to discover Nick staring at her, his eyes glossy with pride and admiration. He held the moment, letting the downpour outside of the car-park fill the silence. The genuine look began to make the bunny uncomfortable, confusing her. She was always glad to see this side of her fox but... but she hadn't done anything!

"What...?" she finally asked, tilting her head.

"You naïve little hick..." Nick's words might've been an insult, but his tone was loving. He broke his gaze and stared off into the rain. "Changing the world..."

Judy placed one of her small paws on top of one of his, joining him in watching the rain. "We did this _together_..."

They sat there in silence for a long time, paw-in-paw. All of the successes... all of the excitement... Judy had been through so much with her fox. But it was moments like these which she found herself cherishing the most – moments where the two just _were_. No fanfare. No reason. Often the most normal of moments. The great Hopps and Wilde, simply existing in the same place at the same time, enjoying each other's company for no other reason than because they were there. She almost found herself disappointed when the rain finally let up.

"Ready to check this place out, Fluff?"

Judy reluctantly slid her paw off of Nick's. "Yep... Let's go."

After stopping by the complex's main office to pick up the key, the pair began wandering through the massive trees which housed the apartments. The trees were hollowed out in intervals as you looked up the trunk, each cross-section being a separate apartment. Judy noted that the spacing between levels was fairly generous, making each place far enough apart to be private. Woven vines and planks created stairways and bridges up and around the trees to the higher levels. At the bottom level, the ground had been hollowed out to reveal some of the large tree roots – every tree had a large apartment built between the roots, metal grates forming stairways down to each corresponding door while draining water into a hidden canal beneath them. It was one of these "root" units which they'd come to see.

Nick pointed. "I think that's the one!"

The two made their way down the steps to the door. The lock was a bit sticky, but after a few tries and some muscle they were able to make it inside. Nick gave an adorable shake to dry himself, starting with his head and rippling down to his toes. Judy smirked and said nothing, flicking the light switch on. Her ears slowly raised.

 _This is like a burrow!_ she happily realized.

"This is like a den!" Nick exclaimed at the same time, his tail beginning to audibly slide back and forth on the wood floor. The fox was the first to continue further into the apartment, dragging a paw along the polished molding. "Real wood... good shape... This design is classic!"

Judy joined in on the tour, appreciating the rounded archways between rooms and the occasional times a root was somehow incorporated into the architecture. At this point in their apartment hunt the partners had perfected a routine; like police searching a building, the two mammals quickly checked the kitchen, bathroom, and all of the electrics of the place for anything sketchy.

"Hmmm..." Nick was currently flicking a switch on and then off again at regular intervals. "I have no clue what this is supposed to go to, but I guess if it doesn't burn down the tree..."

"Did you catch that there's a small basement?" The fox's gleeful surprise answered Judy's question for her. "Yyyyep. My reaction exactly. _And_ it has a half-bath."

That second tidbit was something _she_ really liked, knowing how long it could take Nick to shampoo his thick fur when he used the shower. Having an alternate room available to relieve one's natural urges would not be something which would go unappreciated...

"You know, Carrots... I'm not too thrilled with the rain, but I have to say-" He cut himself off with a gasp as he looked out a window. "-Oh, this is _perfect!"_

The fox's fluffy tail was now fully raised and wagging in the air. Judy walked over and peered into the dark, only seeing a brook – the apartment complex's namesake. There was a bridge crossing the water, but she couldn't make out what it led to. "You're going to have to fill me in, Slick. I can't see a thing."

"Oh. Right." Nick began drawing in the air with his paws. "There's this fantastic playground over there, with _ropes_ and _slides_ and _swings_ , and..."

Nick's momentum slowed to a halt when he caught Judy's patronizing grin. She put her paws on her hips. "What? Does little Nicky want to go play?"

"You wound me! I would _never_ be so uncouth!" He gave an indignant huff as he raised a paw to his chest, turning his eyes back toward the darkness outside the window. "But I _was_ thinking it would be a great place for our kits..."

 _For our... kits?_

It was like lightning and ice had filled the rabbit's veins at the exact same moment, forcing every emotion in existence upon her small form in one overwhelming second. Nick had said that so naturally... so _confidently!_ It was though the statement was just that: A statement. Not a question. Not a discussion. At some point they were going to raise kits even if they couldn't be his own. It had just eased out of his mouth as though he'd commented on the weather, steamrolling Judy in the process with its understated simplicity.

"...Kits!?"

The one word was all she could seem to blurt out, her mind too incoherent to form a full sentence.

Nick, in turn, seemed to look deeply fazed by her astonishment. Perhaps she had misread him due to her shock, however, as he quickly looked as devious as ever when she began to blink. He leaned an elbow on the countertop. "What... first you eat meat, and now you're telling me you _aren't_ expecting us to raise two-hundred kits? Are you sure you're still a rabbit?"

 _That... that jerk! How dare he play me like that!_

Judy rushed in to teach her fox another lesson, but this time he was smart. Nick defended himself, grabbing her paw and reaching around her back to bring the couple into a surprise hug. He cooed at her. "There, there... _deep breaths_..."

The doe groaned into her fox's chest. "I hate you so much sometimes... You know that?"

"Do I know that?" He chuckled and ruffled her head. "Yes. Yes I do, Fluff. But... you _are_ still going to live with me right? Here?"

Judy sighed and allowed herself to smile. She looked back up at Nick's face, barely missing the hurt puzzlement which had adorned it seconds prior. She nodded. "So it's settled then? This is home?"

They both looked around themselves at the empty apartment, new meaning already beginning to fill the space. No words had to be spoken. The answer was already crystal clear.

Yes.

This was home.


	4. Caliber

CHAPTER FOUR:

" _CALIBER"_

* * *

"Hurry up, you two! Get in!"

Bonnie Hopps smiled from the driver's seat of the family's blue pickup truck, opening the passenger door for her two weekend guests. Her daughter and the fox beside her were currently holding their small pieces of luggage above their heads in an inadequate attempt at protecting themselves from the winter rainstorm which was beginning to form. The pair stared into the small interior of the vehicle; Bonnie saw the gears turning in their heads, trying to figure out how they were going to fit.

 _If they don't figure it out soon, they're going to get soaked,_ she thought as the wind picked up. As if reading her mind, she saw the fox's eyes flick back and forth as he seemed to quickly play out some idea in his head. The imagined scenario must have been deemed satisfactory; he swiftly climbed into the seat and placed his bag between himself and her, reaching a paw out the door toward Judy.

"Bag," he stated simply, taking her sack and stacking it on top of his own. Before Judy could protest, the predator reached back out with both paws and grabbed the bunny, lifting her into the vehicle and onto his lap. He closed the door, a crafty smile adorning his face. "Snuggle up, Carrots!"

 _He didn't just say that...!_

Bonnie stifled her shock at hearing the nickname, carefully reading her daughter's posture to see if she should be offended on her behalf. Judy seemed oblivious, however. In fact, her daughter's tense glances suggested that she was more embarrassed by the fact that she was sitting on the tod's lap rather than by anything he'd said. Bonnie reluctantly relaxed, somewhat amused by the satisfaction the fox seemed to get from watching the inside of Judy's ears flush red. Still, Bonnie had only met this male once or twice in passing, and only in a professional setting. He'd always called her daughter "Officer Hopps", not... not " _Carrots"!_

The fox's ears flicked toward her as though they'd heard her current train of thought, his head following the turn only a second later. Bonnie couldn't pinpoint what it was, but there was something irritating about the lazy look of the fox. Something... _deceptive_. He offered a large paw toward her and spoke in a practiced, mannerly tone. "Officer Nicholas Wilde, ma'am. At your service."

Bonnie raised an eyebrow, her maternal instinct making her wary of the mammal's chivalry. They'd been introduced before; it's not like she didn't know his name. This time was altogether different, though. He wasn't just some coworker who Judy loved to talk about. He was a male who had successfully vied for her kit's affection, had refused to hurt her while savage on live TV, and who had just finished moving into a new apartment with her. All previous introductions had been formal pleasantries – acts of politeness to be forgotten about after the moment. _This_ introduction, however, was the first time his name was going to _mean_ something.

 _...And apparently it means a lot._

In fact, that was the reason for their visit. Bonnie and Stu hadn't seen their daughter or this "Nick" of hers since the Bellwether trial, the pair having been nothing more than friends at the time. Then, after the CCC had been exposed, the two had been busy shutting down Henhouses throughout the city. Harvest season had _also_ postponed a visit, the Hopps burrow having been too preoccupied to entertain visitors at the time. The relationship had simply continued to develop for months without Nick ever properly meeting Judy's parents.

 _Which leads us to this awkward little moment..._ Bonnie ruefully thought, unsure what to think of the male before her – a male who she personally knew very little about, yet somehow had become an important part of her precious kit's life. _I suppose I shouldn't leave him waiting._

The matriarch extended her paw to shake his, her voice settling upon a cordial tone. "Bonnie Hopps. Glad you could come to visit."

What happened next dislodged her: Nick took her paw in his and raised it slightly as he leaned his muzzle toward it, his own paw at just the right angle to accentuate the sight of his claws. His mouth barely opened enough to flash a glimpse of his fangs as he leaned in, his eyes never leaving her face as he gave her paw a courteous kiss. It took all of Bonnie's will not to recoil at the predatory sight; she almost managed to hide the stiffening of her ears and the slight twitch of her nose, except apparently Nick had been looking for precisely this reaction. His pupils subtly flickered with recognition, and his sleazy smile deepened. This was a test. He'd caught her. In one masterful stroke the predator had broken through Bonnie's façade and revealed where it was he _really_ stood...

 _Just like a sneaky fox..._ she found herself thinking, unable to stop the biased words from forming in her brain before it was already too late.

Judy seemed disgusted by the melodrama of Nick's performance, innocently oblivious to the subtle game he had won. The fox let go of Bonnie's paw and sat back up. Pointed conceit entered his voice to secretly convey his acknowledgment of what had just transpired. "The pleasure's all _mine_ , Mrs. Hopps! I _assure_ you."

Bonnie's paws briefly bunched into little fists (partly shamed and partly angry), her face keeping its pleasantness only due to years of practice from being a mother. The fox had played her like a fool... _exposed_ her. He'd revealed her distaste and distrust, all without drawing any attention from her daughter. A part of her knew that she should be humiliated for her assumptions, but... he'd also just deceived Judy right in front of her nose, masking his experiment with charm and humor! If that wasn't clear proof of his shifty intentions, then what was?

As if to add insult to injury, Nick kissed the top of Judy's head. She beamed up at him with not a care in the world.

 _In this case, perhaps I'm right to be suspicious..._

Bonnie took a breath and drove the truck out of the train station's parking lot, making a note to keep an eye on the vulpine presence sitting beside her. Silence quickly filled the vehicle jostling its way along the wet dirt road; the wind and rain intensified as though to mirror the matriarch's thoughts. As the minutes dragged on, Bonnie saw Judy's eyebrows furrow – the doe began to sense the tension in the air.

 _You can still do this, Bon,_ she reassured herself. _You can make an effort. For her._

"Soooo..." Bonnie clumsily began, searching for the first topic that she could find. "I see you've gained a little weight since I last saw you, honey-bun!"

Judy groaned, eliciting a chuckle from her orange seat. "I blame Nick's cooking..."

"Well I think it's a good thing!" Bonnie raised a paw from the wheel. "It's _healthy_ for a doe to have a little weight on her hips!"

"Wait just a minute, Mom!" Her daughter waived a digit at her good-naturedly. "Don't you start sounding like Gram-Gram on me. We don't need that kind of pressure."

Nick peered down at the bunny in his lap, intrigued at the idea that he was somehow involved in this. "...Pressure?"

"Mm-hm!" Judy licked her lips and feigned a Phileporidan accent, impersonating her grandmother. "Good wide hips. Make lots of babies!"

A bark of surprised laughter exploded into the vehicle, the tod having been completely unprepared for the performance which he received. "Well now! That's something!"

"Oh you have no idea..." Bonnie gained a smirk as she prepared to properly freak the male out, the idea of the slightest revenge renewing some of her previously-lost confidence. "Judy's ol' grandma Lorelei was a legend around these parts. Set the record: _Five-hundred and six_ kits...!"

"No...!" Nick's jaw dropped.

"Oh, yes! A real Bunny Boomer, let me tell you!" She chuckled as she fondly remembered her mother. "Nobody's come close in the whole Tri-Burrow area. Not yet, at least. Of course, you know what Judy likes to do to records..."

Bonnie could _hear_ the fox's breath freeze! The sound was absolutely _delicious_... She watched with malicious intent as the slack-jawed mammal timidly looked down at his partner as though he were going to puke. "Um, Carrots? You're _not_... I mean... right?"

There was that nickname again.

"Mom! _Stop!_ Look what you did!" Judy gestured up at Nick in an amused, yet agitated fashion. "You broke him! Happy now? Besides, we haven't even talked about whether we would _want_ kits, yet."

Judy was too busy staring at her mother to catch the longing confusion which fleetingly formed on the male's face, but it had not gone unnoticed by Bonnie. It was pitiful. She suddenly found her feelings slightly less vehement regarding him. Despite her better judgment, she decided to offer Nick a bit of a lifeline and continued the conversation for him. "You should be glad she's not around to hear you talk like that, Jude! She'd set you up with some virile buck before you could say another word!"

The extra seconds were just what Nick had needed to regain his composure. He smirked at Judy. "Sounds like quite the character."

"Just wait until you meet Pop-Pop!" Judy laughed, then frowned as the reality of the possibility fully formed in her mind. "On second thought... maybe you shouldn't."

"Yes. I'm afraid you won't be seeing much of him this trip, dear..." Bonnie sighed as she stared out into the endless stretch of road in front of the truck, trying to ignore the now-drooping ears of her daughter. "You know him and his scripture..."

Nick gently pet Judy's ears in a conciliatory fashion. "I'm the problem, I take it?"

Judy's eyes squinted in indignation, her jaw jutting out in frustration. She vented her distress by mocking the old rabbit, her voice croaking to imitate the codger. "Foxes are red because they were made by the devil!"

Bonnie rolled her eyes. Nick's widened.

"Wow, I'm impressed Fluff!" – Bonnie held back a wince at this new nickname. – "I should be thankful all you had on you was that fox repellent!"

"Not that they didn't _try_..." Judy shot her mother a sharp look.

"Judith _Laverne!_ "

Her daughter tilted her chin up in defiance. "Well, it's _true._ "

Bonnie was not about to let the uncomfortable accusation go unanswered, regardless of how true it was. "For heaven's sake, Jude! Your father was not going to let you go into that city undefended, not after everything Gideon did! Honestly...!"

Nick's ears perked up with interest at the name. "Gideon? As in, _blueberry pie_ Gideon?"

"He makes other kinds of pies, Nick," Judy reminded him with a knowing smirk, poking the tod on the chest.

"Not any that _matter_..." The response was firm in its belief. Bonnie saw the fox replay some of the implications of the conversation in his head, however, his brow beginning to frown with a fierce, protective glare. "What did he do...?"

 _See! I knew he was dangerous...!_ Bonnie became unnerved by the fox's posture, the matriarch feeling obligated to protect their darling business partner. "Oh, no need to worry, now. He's just the sweetest thing these days! But I'm afraid he was quite the bully back when Judy here was just a little doe."

"Littler than she is _now_ , you mean..." Mirth had begun to return to the fox's muzzle. Judy elbowed Nick in the ribs, making him yelp and rub his side.

"Hush, you."

Bonnie chuckled, relieved to see her daughter stand up for herself. She decided to keep on going with her story. "Point is, little Gideon really had it out for our Judy. Even threatened to eat her, once!"

"What!?" Nick stiffened with genuine shock.

"Mm-hm. Don't know why, but he made a mighty effort to be scary, that's for sure." Bonnie spared a sad, motherly look toward her daughter. "I think the worst time was when he clawed your face, though..."

Judy's ears fell at the memory, one paw absentmindedly rubbing the cheek that had been attacked so many years ago. Bonnie caught the shift in posture from Nick: There was... some sort of _realization_ on the predator's face? He quickly became shy, every muscle of his body unsure of how it should react to the bunny on his lap. His ears hugged his head as he tentatively reached out to her cheek, stared at his own paw, and then stopped mid-air in one agonizing motion. His body teemed with an aura of guilt. "Judy... I-"

"-You didn't know." Her daughter grabbed the large paw and guided it to her cheek, rubbing her digits into its dark fur. Slowly, he began to caress her, comfort her...

 _Well I'll be darned,_ admitted Bonnie as she no longer knew what to make of the pair, realizing Nick had just used Judy's name for the first time. She still wasn't comfortable with the fox – still wasn't sure she could trust him – but in that moment his demeanor had become unrecognizable from anything he'd previously displayed. The predatory confidence she had feared was completely absent, replaced with an almost-cowardly tenderness. The rain outside of the truck faded into a drizzle as Judy's body softened back against Nick's chest, allowing Bonnie to pick up the faint sound of her daughter grinding her teeth in a rabbit's purr. The fox's thumb slowly rubbed her cheek, his green eyes losing themselves into the sight of her silver fur...

The scene was striking.

Bonnie turned her eyes away from the couple as she wrestled with her thoughts. Could this fox actually love her daughter? Could she even accept it if he did? Half of her mind screamed at her. Told her she was being played hook, line, and sinker. His affection was a ruse meant to sucker the matriarch into acceptance. Yet... the other half of her mind fought the prejudice. Told her to trust her daughter. Reminded her that they'd even grown to trust _Gideon_ of all mammals! A maternal determination began to enter her veins...

 _I need to get to the bottom of this. One way or another._

It was with that determination that she pawed Judy the couple's bags, finally parking the truck outside of an entrance to the family's massive warren. She smiled as sweetly as she could. "You go on ahead and take these to your room, honey-bun! I'll just show Mr. Wilde around a little, then we'll meet up to find your father."

Judy took the bags with a dubious look, clearly about to say something when Nick rushed in to cut her off. "I'll be okay, Fluff. I promise not to eat any of your family while you're gone."

The doe looked back and forth between them, Bonnie wearing a motherly smile and Nick with a sly grin, paws resting on his hips. She was outnumbered. Resigned, she uneasily left the pair alone as she disappeared into the depths of the warren. The rain had stopped completely, leaving only a slight, chilly breeze. Bonnie and Nick stood for a long time, neither making eye contact as the solitude of the broad fields around them underscored the conversation they were about to have – a conversation which the mother was forcing the predator to initiate.

 _You're not going to have the advantage on me this time, Mr. Wilde..._

"I don't deserve her."

The fox's first words were short and simple, spoken so plainly she found herself questioning what it was he was really implying. It was an effective opening move, but the older rabbit wasn't about to let herself get trapped by it. Her voice was smooth and dignified. "I never said that, Mr. Wilde."

"No, _I'm_ saying that." His tail flicked to his other side, the two mammals still staring in the direction Judy had gone. "Although, if you try to tell me you haven't thought it then I'll have to call you an idiot or a liar."

Bonnie huffed with amusement. "I have to say, Mr. Wilde... That isn't the kind of thing a buck usually says to a doe's mother."

"I'm not a buck."

 _Clearly._

Nick ran his tongue over his teeth as he thought, flatly bringing his paws together under his chin before continuing. "Mrs. Hopps. I need you to understand something: I could say those things about your daughter... tell you in detail about everything I adore. I could gush like some lovesick _wreck_ if I thought it would help... But we both know it wouldn't mean a _damn thing._ "

Bonnie was the first to look at the other, her curiosity getting the better of her. Needless to say, the fox had her attention, if nothing else...

He kept on talking. "No. You already know all those things about her. You raised her. They aren't compliments – they're _facts._ It would be about as impressive as telling you the sky is blue."

The rabbit frowned. "So instead, what? You think I'll be impressed if you're blunt? Stand there, telling me everything I'm thinking so you can shame me into-"

Nick raised a paw to silence her, avoiding her gaze. "I don't mean to be rude, Mrs. Hopps, but this isn't about you."

There was a long silence as the breeze blew the scent of moist earth into their noses. Bonnie shivered. The fox began to pace in front of her; if it weren't for his inability to look at her, the motion would've seemed predatory and unsettling. As it was, it seemed as though the words he was forming were difficult for him.

"When your daughter met me, do you know what I was? A hustler. I conned every mammal who would give me the time of day. I'd long accepted that was the role of a fox – I'd _embraced_ it, even. I took pride in my swindling. It made me feel smart. Smarter than _them_ , at least..."

Nick sighed and rubbed his temple, then continued pacing.

"Oh, yes. You would've hated me, Mrs. Hopps. When Judy met me, I... I belittled her. I _insulted_ her. I saw this little bunny trying to be something more than the world would ever let her be, and I thought: How _dare_ she? I took one look at her dreams and did my very best to tear them down..."

Bonnie's heart dropped, reminded of how she and Stu had _also_ tried to make their daughter give up. Their words replayed themselves in her head: _It's great to have dreams... just so long as you don't believe in them too much._

"I didn't realize what it was at first, but I was jealous. Jealous that she had a chance I never thought I'd get in a million years. Jealous that she could be more, and I _couldn't_. But your daughter is strong, Mrs. Hopps. Do you know what she did? Every time I would try to drag her down, she'd grab on and _pull_. She saw a part of me I'd buried, a _good_ part, and... and she slowly pulled it up out of the dirt. After everything I'd done... she should have left me. But she didn't."

The fox's eyes had become glossy. He paused a second to collect himself.

"Don't you see? She's _too_ good, Mrs. Hopps. Judy set out to change the world... She changed _my_ world, that's for sure. She changed _me_. And what have I done for her? Protected her? Opened her eyes a little? I've done nothing any other male couldn't have done for her! She's still the same wonderful bunny she's always been. Whereas I... I would've been lost without her..."

Nick's tail dragged in the dirt. He stopped pacing, his chin lowering toward his chest.

"And when she trusted me... When I was her partner... I tricked her. I made her believe – I made all of _Zootopia_ believe – I wanted to kill her. And she still forgave me when it was all over. So I _need_ you to understand this, Mrs. Hopps: I really don't deserve her. I've done almost everything in my power _not_ to. You can decide to hate me. That would be fine. You can even try to break us apart, and I'd respect you for it; I know there are mammals far more deserving of her than I. But above all, I need you to know this: I will fight you until my last breath if you do."

Nick looked directly into Bonnie's eyes for the first time, his emerald gaze penetrating into the back of her soul.

"I'm selfish, Mrs. Hopps. Judy has chosen _me_. I don't know why, but I don't care. If she's dumb enough to love me, then I intend to hold on to her as hard as I can."

With that, the fox dug his paws into his pockets and began shuffling down the steps of the warren. Bonnie was breathless, her eyes beginning to water from the words she couldn't believe she had just heard. She found she was no longer looking at a fox – not at some predator taking advantage of her little kit. Perhaps... perhaps she was looking at the one mammal who could appreciate her Judy _best._ Better, even, than Judy's own mother...

"Nicholas, wait!"

The fox paused.

Bonnie brought her paws up to her chest and stared at them, breathing to compose herself. "I... I see now that maybe... There are many males in this world. I'm not sure _any_ of them would be deserving of my daughter. Not really. But... but one thing is becoming clear to me. It may be that nobody deserves my Judy, but perhaps... perhaps Judy deserves _you._ "

She swallowed, bobbing her head for confidence. "If you meant what you said... and I mean _really meant it_... I just need you to promise me one thing."

Nick turned his head over his shoulder to look back, nodding.

"You hold on to her, Mr. Wilde. You hold on, and you _never_ let go."

She saw the fox close his eyes and inhale through his nose, long and deliberate. There was the faintest of trembles, and then an exhale. His body relaxed. He wore a melancholy smile. His voice was quiet:

"...That was the plan, Mrs. Hopps."


	5. Welcome To The Family

CHAPTER FIVE:

" _WELCOME TO THE FAMILY"_

* * *

Judy had made record time in winding her way through the labyrinthine tunnels of the warren to drop their luggage off in her room, now starting her journey back to one of the main halls. Sure, it was a bit of a good sign that her parents had seemed to expect that they'd be _sharing_ a room, but she still did not feel comfortable leaving her fox alone with her mother. It was clear that this had been an excuse to talk to Nick without her presence.

 _Nick can handle himself just fine,_ she reminded herself as various imagined scenarios ran themselves through her busy bunny brain. _I just hope he doesn't open that stupid mouth of his._

That last thought made her pause a bit, then quickly pick up the pace of her stride as the current tunnel sloped downward.

 _...Might as well hope to win the lottery while I'm at it._

The warren was an intricate web of tunnels which had been burrowed as needed over the years, sloping and weaving together in an odd, ordered chaos. It was almost like a dormitory, or perhaps a miniature city – each section had its own unique character defined by when and why it had been built. This particular corridor was mostly lit by warm fluorescent lights (although there was the occasional solar tube) and the walls were a dull brown. As was usually the case in the warren, this hall was carpeted; carpet was cheaper than wood, softer on the paws, and served to dampen the echoing sounds of the hundreds of family members living within the complex (an important benefit when you were an animal with sensitive ears). As the hallway gently sloped back up, Judy found herself at a T-junction with a sign: An arrow to the left with the symbols of a fork and toilet indicated where the nearest kitchen and restrooms were, while a blue arrow to the right directed her to the Blue Hall.

 _I imagine they never got very far in their "tour"..._

Judy turned right. The Blue Hall was the nearest major "vein" of the warren, and the one she had used to get to her room. "Veins" were always differentiated from normal hallways by being brightly colored and larger, serving as convenient "highways" of sorts between major rooms, warren sections, and exits. After the approaching curve ahead of her, the beige carpet and arching sky-blue tunnel of the Blue Hall sharply bisected the earthier, homier feel of Judy's current hallway. The doe's ears focused around the corner of the intersection ahead as she picked up on the sound of her mother's distinctly-subdued giggle and the notes of somebody whistling a tune: "Hotel Califurnia".

"Oh, Nicholas... Stop it!" she heard her mother chuckle as she neared the corner to meet them. "You'll be fine!"

Judy relaxed when she heard the jovial tone of the two ahead, noting how Bonnie had switched to using Nick's first name. Whatever had been said between them had seemed to have gone well, a blessing which took more weight off of Judy's shoulders than she'd realized she'd been carrying.

 _Although apparently Mom has yet to learn that "Stop it" in Nick's language is secretly code for "Please continue whatever obnoxious thing you're currently doing"._

Indeed, as if on cue, she heard her fox stop whistling in favor of bursting out into full song.

"Last thing I remember, I was running for the door! I had to find the passage back to the place I was before...!"

Judy brought her paws up to her mouth and snickered when she entered the hall, Nick's ears pinning themselves straight up with excitement and a hint of relief when he laid his green eyes on her. His tail raised off the ground and gently swayed.

"Carrots! Oh, thank _heavens!_ I thought I might never see you again!" Nick quickly walked toward her with his arms out, embracing her in a melodramatic hug.

Bonnie snorted. "Nicholas seems to be under the impression that we're trapping him."

Nick waived a paw across the air and followed it with his eyes as though reading a billboard. "'Burrowed Alive', starring the great Nicholas Wilde! Led into the unending depths of the Hopps family burrow, our handsome hero is left alone to die... Will he survive long enough to escape and reunite with the one he loves?"

Judy laughed, poking him in the ribs as she gestured down the hallway she had come from. "I was just over _here_ , you dumb fox!"

"Yes, well..." The tod's face gained a playful seriousness as the three returned to walking down the hall. "That's less exciting. And it wouldn't make for a very good movie."

Judy rolled her eyes. She found herself realizing Nick had a _point_ , however. She'd grown up here. She'd learned the halls and had watched as more had been made. She also knew her family. On the other paw, Nick was probably about as lost as she had been when she'd first moved to Zootopia...

"Look, Peter! It's a _gideon!_ "

The young, feminine voice interrupting her thoughts had come from a side hallway. All three mammals turned their heads in time to see two _very_ excited youngsters sprinting toward them – the younger of the two kits was a white male with blue eyes, while the slightly-older female kit had a splotched coat of fur with green eyes. Before anyone could react, the two rabbits were upon Nick like two heat-seeking missiles.

"What are you doing here, gideon?" eagerly inquired the bold doe. Nick's nose scrunched with confusion.

"He's a _fox_ , dear," corrected Bonnie in an amused tone, turning her gaze back up at Nick. "You'll have to excuse them. They don't tend to meet many foxes around here."

The white kit's face gained a haughty frown as he batted the female with a paw. " _Yeah!_ Don't be rude! The gideon has a name you know!"

"Oh..." The eagerness fled from the tiny female, replaced with an abashed shyness as her eyes stared at her feet. "I'm sorry Mr. Afox, sir..."

"That's quite alright." With a chuckle and a quick look to Bonnie for permission, Nick sat on his haunches to better interact with the cute kits. "You didn't know my name yet. What are yours?"

The little doe's face perked back up at the same speed with which it had previously drained. "Oh! My name is Abigail Cottontail!" - she looked to her side at the white kit with reluctance - "...And he's my brother, Peter."

"Hello Mr. Afox, sir," chimed in Peter, sheepishly attempting politeness.

"Ha!" Nick laughed at the continued use of the erroneous name, clearly having no intention of correcting them on the matter. "Well, then... Nice to meet you. You can call me Nick. And to answer your previous question, I'm here because Carrots invited me."

"Silly! Carrots can't talk!" Abigail snickered as though the fox had told the best joke in the world.

Nick looked back up at Judy with a smug smile, as if to point out that there was somebody in this world who actually _appreciated_ his humor. "Sure she can! Can't you, Carrots?"

Judy found herself becoming absorbed in the scene, her eyes half-absent as she lovingly watched her fox interact with the children. Nick's tail was wagging across the beige carpet behind him. His joy was genuine, she realized; he was talking to the kits because he _liked_ them. The fox before her was the fox she loved – the Nick she saw when he took off his emotional mask. She wondered at the openness: Was it that he trusted the innocent minds of youth? Or did he simply refuse to show the children the cynicism he directed at the rest of the world?

"Well, _normally_ she can. She's just not talking right now to make me look dumb." Nick turned his head back to the two little bunnies in front of him.

"But... she's not a carrot," replied Peter with the hesitance of confusion. The white kit skeptically looked up at Judy as though to confirm that she indeed _wasn't_ a carrot...

"Are you sure about that?" Nick raised an eyebrow as he asked the question, then made a toothy grin. "Maybe I should eat her and find out!"

"No!" squealed Abigail, a grin still plastered to her face. She lightly bopped Nick on the nose. "Bad gideon! You can't eat her!"

"And why _not_ , little lady?" asked Nick in a disgruntled tone.

An adult might have listed many rational answers to the ridiculous question, first of which being that Judy was a living, breathing, sentient animal. Abigail, however, was just a child. She firmly put her paws on her hips and stared straight at the predator in front of her with a look of conviction.

"Because she doesn't taste good!"

Nick practically _howled_ with laughter, a fit that doubled in intensity and brought tears to his eyes when Abigail's little brother became traitorous; with an ornery grin, Peter helpfully pointed at his sister. "You can eat _her_ , though! _She's_ tasty...!"

Even Bonnie (who had seemed unsure of the topic) laughed at _that!_ Abigail passionately protested Peter's generous offer, much to the amusement of the other mammals. Nick finally relented, his ears drooping back in feigned disappointment. "Well, if I can't eat any of _you_ , then what _is_ there for a gideon to eat around here?"

"Hmm..." Abigail brought a paw up to her chin in thought. "Well... there's carrots!"

"But you just said I couldn't eat her!"

A new fit of giggles erupted from the two small kits at Nick's intentional misunderstanding; the three quickly bickered about what had actually been meant. The fox began haggling for Judy's life, presenting the kits with more and more outlandish offers if only they'd allow him to eat their relative. Nowhere in the kits' eyes could fear be found. In fact, the hilarious bargaining was only serving to showcase the silliness of such thoughts to them – the threat was obviously just a game, not a reality. Judy sighed as she watched her fox unwittingly cement a trust toward predators within these two...

 _He's really good with kits,_ she mused. _He'd make a really good father..._

A shimmering, pleased gaze interrupted Judy's thoughts before she had the time to realize what it was she had just admitted to herself; Judy blinked and turned her attention to her mother. Just how long had Bonnie been staring at her? The look she saw was motherly... Knowing, even.

Judy lightly squinted. "What...?"

"Oh, _nothing_ dear..." Bonnie's smile only deepened as she took her eyes off of Judy and returned to watching Nick. The older doe hummed to herself with a peculiar delight.

 _Nothing, my furry butt!_

Judy rolled her head back down in the direction of her fox, finding a surprisingly pitiful, pleading face staring back at her. Nick's ears were hugging his head, his pupils were large, and his lower jaw was quivering. She'd never seen Nick attempt the "puppy dog" look before, and despite how comedic it was she still found her heart aching a little.

"What did they _do_ , Nick?" she asked with a knowing smirk.

Nick doubled down on the act. "They won't let me eat you... It's not _fair_..."

"Really? I don't see how that's their decision to make..." Judy caved from his look, leaning her muzzle close to his as her voice became sweeter. "Tell you what... How about I give you a _taste?_ "

The two locked their mouths together in a kiss, much to the objections of the disgusted young kits. This just encouraged the tod, who grabbed Judy's shoulders for a deeper kiss as he intentionally made loud slurping sounds. Pleased with the repulsed squeals of the children, Nick broke it off and smacked his lips for emphasis.

"Yummy!"

"Okay, okay... now run along you two!" Bonnie shook her head as she patted the kits on the back, finding this moment as good as any to shoo them off. "We've got boring adult things to do. Now say goodbye to Nicholas!"

After some deliberation between them and the older rabbit, the two kits reluctantly waved goodbye as they ran back down the hallway from which they'd appeared. "Goodbye Mr. Afox!"

Nick gave a lazy, two-digit salute back. Once the children were out of sight, Judy turned to him and affectionately rubbed his shoulder. "You know, Mr. Afox... You were really good with them."

Judy watched as her fox squared his shoulders in sincere pride, looking much like he had when she'd pinned his badge on him after he'd graduated from the academy. He sighed, contented. As they continued their way down the Blue Hall, she noted how her fox had nothing to say for once. Had that compliment really meant that much to him...?

 _...And did it really mean that much to ME?_

The rest of the walk was lost to idle family chat, discussing the expansion plans of the burrow and which family members were currently expecting kits. Bonnie explained how one of the Cottontails had moved into the warren after marrying a Hopps doe (explaining the surname of the kits they'd just encountered). Judy surprised herself with the ease at which she could keep up on the info despite having been absent from home for so long – when it came to family and kits, bunnies tended to move fairly fast.

"Anyways... your father should be in the Main Chamber," her mother informed her as they began to approach the center of the warren. "He took some of the bucks out to get the trees a bit early this year. You remember how long it takes to _decorate_ all of them..."

Nick's eyebrows shot up. He raised a digit of a paw, interjecting into the conversation for the first time in a while. "Trees? As in... _plural?_ "

Bonnie laughed. "I hadn't even thought how that might seem unusual to you! Yes, Nicholas. _Twenty-six_ trees, to be precise. One for each letter of the alphabet. It really helps to have the presents sorted by name when the big day comes!"

"Wow!" The fox whistled, impressed. "I knew you bunnies were good at multiplying, but I always thought deforestation was more of a beaver thing..."

A pointed nod from her mother instructed Judy to punch Nick in the side. The act accomplished, she shrugged when he gave her a betrayed frown. "Hey, we're in her burrow. An order's and order!"

"Speaking of which, you've got me curious, Nicholas..." Bonnie casually waived a paw as she returned to a previous point in the conversation. "How does _your_ family celebrate the holidays?"

Judy held her breath... Her mother did not know the sensitive ground upon which she'd just accidentally tread. It was an innocent question, and thankfully Nick seemed to take it as best he could. Her fox blinked a bit and his posture gained a hint of stiffness, but their conversation otherwise continued as though nothing was out of the ordinary. He swallowed, then answered.

"I... I don't have any, Mrs. Hopps."

Judy inherited her naïve curiosity from her mother, however – a fact made crystal clear when Bonnie pressed further with the best of intentions. "What? You don't celebrate the holidays?"

Nick gave Judy a bittersweet glance to reassure her, then took a faintly shaky breath as his tail lowered to the floor. "I meant... I don't have any _family_ , Mrs. Hopps..."

Bonnie's chest physically lurched inward as the revelation hit, her feet briefly stopping dead in their tracks. Her nose was twitching as her wide, watery eyes connected with Judy's behind the fox's back. Judy knew that must've been what _her_ reaction had looked like when she'd first found out herself; a bunny always had hundreds of family members in their lives, so even the _idea_ of living without any...? It was monumentally tragic. _Impossible_ , even. So when Judy gave a sad nod of confirmation to her mother, the older doe had to wipe away the tears that were already running across the fur of her cheek. That sorrow quickly faded into a familiar determination, though, and also... anger?

 _What? What did I do?_

"Nicholas Wilde!" Her mother's voice turned against the tod in one stunning motion. "I won't have you talking like that! Not when you're in my burrow! You'll be spending the holidays with _us_ , and I won't have another word of it!"

This time it was Nick and Judy who paused their steps, shell-shocked as they watched the matriarch storm a short distance ahead. It was a caring sort of fury – the kind which made Nick look down at Judy with recognition. His face slid into a confident smile.

"...I think I see where you get it from, Carrots."


	6. On The Mark

CHAPTER SIX:

" _ON THE MARK"_

* * *

She was angry.

No, she was more than angry. She was _furious_. The fox's words replayed themselves in her head:

" _I don't have any family, Mrs. Hopps..."_

Bonnie continued to walk further ahead of the couple, needing the space to gather her thoughts. Her rage was directed at everyone and no one. Why hadn't her daughter _told_ her the fox had no family? Why did that same fox seem so... _accepting_ of it?

 _And why am I the only one who's angry right now!?_

She was mad at the world... Mad at Stu for his gadgets. Mad at Pop-Pop for trying to raise her the way he had. Mad at the city for leaving the fox all alone...

 _The fox..._

No. He was not "the fox". He had a name.

 _...Nicholas._

The realization of her mistake made her stomach retch. Nick had a _name_. Nick, who she'd just begun to accept since arriving at the warren. Nick, who Peter and Abigail had adored. Nick, who Judy had gazed upon with that look Bonnie knew so well...

 _I thought I was better than this..._

Yes, the truth was that Bonnie was angry with _herself_. Even after everything her daughter had worked for in the city, Bonnie had still been wary of working with Gideon at first. Then after learning to trust Gideon, she'd still looked upon Nick as a possible threat. And finally after everything Nick had made clear to her... she had still fought a sense of unease when he'd joked with the kits.

 _And he was so good with them, too. So... different._

She could tell that what she'd witnessed had been the _real_ Nick, the same mammal who she'd seen caressing her daughter's cheek in the truck... and the same mammal who had somehow managed to resist hurting her daughter when he'd been turned savage. Bonnie had watched the news footage – had known for a while that there was a deep goodness within Nick. So why had that been so hard to _trust_ until now?

 _You know why, Bon,_ she reminded herself. _You saw Judy go through this._

She'd seen Judy struggle with herself during the Missing Mammals incident, but she'd never truly understood. It had seemed peculiar at the time, a bunny getting so worked up over her own fear of predators... To Bonnie, the fear had been rational.

 _I'm the only one who's angry because... because this isn't new! It's normal!_

Her rudeness, Nick's lack of family... it was all _normal_ to the couple. The confidence with which he'd confronted her spoke to a lifetime of mistreatment, and the control in his voice had revealed just how long he'd been alone...

Bonnie now saw everything in a new light.

This wasn't about Nick. Not directly. Despite some residual prejudice when it came to the kits, she'd already seen him for who he was. She was furious with herself because this was about _Judy:_ She finally understood why it was Judy did what she did, and it hurt to know just how long it had taken her to see it.

 _...She does it for the mammals like Nicholas._

She'd always been _proud_ of her daughter. That was never in question. However, she'd never understood the drive – the certainty that had always been in Judy's eyes when she'd insisted that the world needed to be made a better place. To Bonnie, her _family_ had always been her purpose in life; her family _was_ the world. But now that Nick's world had collided into Bonnie's, she'd been forced to look at an ugliness which she'd so easily ignored. His world was the opposite of the comfort she had known; nobody had cared about him, unlike the hundreds who had cared about her...

 _Nicholas lied to me..._ She fought back fresh tears as the obvious finished sinking in. _Nicholas lied to himself._ _He deserves her. He deserves every bit of happiness Judy brings him..._

Nick was a testament to Judy's heart. He was the wooden frame that hung the beautiful painting that was her daughter. He outlined everything that was _right_ about Judy, and in so doing allowed Bonnie to truly understand her daughter's compassion for the first time. Bonnie knew her daughter was a hero, but she hadn't grasped what that meant. Not _really_. Nick was the cipher – the key to seeing her daughter for who she truly was. It wasn't just that he needed her; Nick's contrast _completed_ her.

...Meanwhile, Bonnie had been blind. Intentionally. Nick was the best thing to happen to her daughter, and she had been... ignorant. Irresponsible. _Small-minded._

She was furious with herself.

She really was just a dumb _bunny_.

* * *

The couple caught up with the matriarch as the Blue Hall emptied out onto a long mezzanine of the massive Main Chamber. Balconies circled the giant room, stairways between them forming a helix shape as they spiraled down toward the floor at the bottom. The Main Chamber served as a sort of hub for the warren and as such was usually a focus of the hustle and bustle of daily activities. This was doubly true at the moment; much of the family was avoiding the rain, opting instead to help with the holiday decorations. Judy felt Nick's paw grasp her own for a light squeeze, the tod looking a little overwhelmed. There were _hundreds_ of rabbits in the room. He was the only fox.

"Rabbit, whatever you do... do not let go."

Judy laughed as she began leading her fox down a staircase toward the ground floor, sparing a glance at her mother. Thankfully Bonnie seemed to have regained her normal composure. Knowing her father's tendency to jump to conclusions, it was crucial that his introduction to Nick go as smoothly as possible...

"Jude! Jude the Dude!" Stu easily spotted the three descending toward him through the crowd; a bunny would've been blind not to have noticed the tall fox. Stu began hopping and waving to get their attention. "Over here!"

Judy's ears perked at the sight as she made an open-mouthed smile. It had been too long! She picked up the pace, gracelessly dragging the now-stumbling fox who was still firmly attached to her paw. Once they closed the gap, she let him go and embraced her dad in an enthusiastic hug. "Oh, Dad! I missed you so much!"

"Cripes is it good to see you Jude! I missed -" Judy felt her father suddenly tense in her arms as he paused mid-sentence, his little bunny nose sniffing feverishly before finishing his thought. "...you, too?"

Stu held her at arm's length, his smile quickly replaced by a livid frown. He slowly turned his eyes away from her face and looked over her shoulder at the predator behind her. In one abrupt motion he brushed past Judy and stomped straight up to Nick, giving him a confrontational shove. Nick held his paws up in the air in surrender as he frantically looked around for support or escape. Stu closed the distance again, this time sharply pressing a digit against Nick's chest as he yelled in accusation.

"You _marked_ her!?"

"Gee, it's uh..." Nick gulped, his ears pressing backward against his head. "...It's nice to meet you too? Mr. Hopps?"

Stu's fist began to shake, his ears lowering straight behind himself in pure rage. His voice lowered to a deadly seriousness. "I will ask you _one_ more time, fox... Did you scent-mark my daughter?"

"Oh, _relax_ Stu," Bonnie interrupted as she finished walking up to the group, shaking her head. " _Honestly_. Of course she smells like him... She was sitting on his lap the whole ride over here! Now stop making a scene, dear."

"Bon, I know what I smelled." Stu's voice was obstinate. His paw pointed at Judy in emphasis. "That was a mark. The fox didn't even have the _decency_ to -"

 _Cheese and crackers,_ Judy inwardly groaned in amassing frustration, having had more than enough of the situation. _I know they're protective, but this takes the carrot cake!_

"So what!?" she finally yelled, drawing the stunned looks of the three mammals. "For crying out loud! His name is _Nick_ , Dad! And _yes!_ We're marking each other! How is this a surprise? Like, _at all?_ I know you've seen the news footage! Certainly all of _Zootopia_ has...!"

Stu huffed and turned his attention toward his daughter (an action which gave a small bit of relief to the cornered fox). "That doesn't _count_ , Jude. He was savage! That doesn't mean he has to _continue_ to mark you...!"

"And _I_ marked _him!_ Smell him! Go ahead, take a good whiff!" Judy angrily pointed in the direction of her fox – a fox who did not look at all pleased with her current suggestion. "What? Are you going to tell me that my sisters get to mark their bucks, but I don't get to mark _Nick?_ Because if that's what you're telling me..."

"That's _different_ , Jude," interrupted her father. "I was talking to Gideon, and when foxes-"

That. Was. It.

"-What the _hell_ does Gideon have to do with any of this!?"

Whether due to the volume of her voice, the sheer anger of her tone, or her rare use of a curse, a slow silence spread throughout the Main Chamber. All eyes and ears were now focused on where they stood, watching as Judy seethed in heavy breaths. The only other sound came from Nick's large paws as they padded their way toward her. He knelt down in front of her and gently brushed her shoulders, her fury switching to an apprehensive confusion when she noticed the wounded look in his eyes. Why would he look like that...?

"Judy," he tentatively began, his eyes searching her face for something. "I... I'm beginning to suspect that it _is_ different, and..." – he gave a nervous chuckle, forlornly dropping his gaze to the floor – "Wow... I've really screwed things up, haven't I?"

 _Different? I don't understand... This isn't his fault!_

Her fox continued.

"Look just... I'm sorry. I think your dad may be right. This is all mixed up." Judy stared in disbelief as Nick turned to look at her father with a pained tint in his eyes. "...Mr. Hopps? May I speak to you _alone?"_

"I.. uh..." Stu was wringing his paws, clearly taken aback by Nick's unexpected defense of him. Bonnie leaned in and whispered something in his ear, then gave him a subtle jab in the side to remind him to speak. "Yes... I think that would be for the best. Please, uh, follow me."

As Nick stood up to join him, Bonnie walked over and grabbed Judy by the arm before she could protest. Gently pulling her away, her mother looked at her with a surprising confidence. "It'll be okay, honey-bun. The boys just need to sort some things out..."

* * *

Well, if this was what "sorted out" looked like, Judy wasn't sure she liked it.

Bonnie had distracted her by having her help prepare the vegetable stir-fry which they were currently eating for dinner (having decided to dine in a more personal setting rather than the warren cafeteria). She had wondered at her mother's confidence – just what _had_ she said to Stu before he'd gone to talk to Nick? Whatever the case, her confidence had seemed more than justified when the two males returned; Judy was positively _shocked_ when they'd arrived in high spirits! They were even on a first-name basis!

 _So why is Nick all... wrong?_

As the dinner had been served Judy had already begun to notice changes in her fox's behavior. It was the small things, like how his chair was a little further from hers than it needed to be. Or how he would look away when their eyes met for more than a second or two. She had even tried to affectionately rub his thigh under the table; Nick had rubbed her arm in return, but then had gently used the motion to push the touch away. Considering how pawsy he had been ever since the start of his season, this new distance of his was becoming painfully unsettling...

"You feeling okay there, Carrots?"

His voice took a second to register with the bunny, the question having been one of the few times he'd addressed her directly since returning. Judy blinked, looked at her dinner, then replied. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just not feeling all that hungry I guess..."

 _You are such a liar, Jude._

Her fork idly pushed through the vegetables on her plate as the rest of the table returned to whatever trivial conversation had been occupying them previously; in truth, Judy wasn't feeling all that well. There was something about the stir-fry that didn't smell right... She had tried to choke a few bites down, but that had only led to an increase in nausea. Nobody else was having a problem though, so clearly there wasn't anything wrong with the meal itself...

 _Must be_ _nerves_ , she reasoned. _I'm just so tense!_

Judy valiantly attempted to eat more of her dinner, drinking large gulps of water between bites to help keep the food down. It wasn't pleasant, but a rabbit _did_ need to eat. She tried to keep her mind off her worries as she focused on the smiles and banter around her. After all, she was probably just paranoid, right? It would be understandable if Nick were a little nervous... And everything _was_ going much better than she'd expected!

 _...If by "better than expected" I mean that my fox seems to be more comfortable with my parents than with me, then suuuuuure! Everything is just peachy._

Judy slumped with a sigh as she looked up Nick, her downcast mood switching to mild concern when she spotted a bit of red on his nose. "Uh, Nick...? I think you're bleeding again."

"What?" Her fox dabbed his nose with a paw and then looked at it, seeing the red sinking into his fur. He did the motion a second time as if to confirm, and then stood up from the table. "Uh... my apologies. I'll be right back."

"The nearest bathroom is down the hall, dear," Bonnie helpfully offered. "Seventh door on the right."

Judy watched in worry as Nick left. She'd nagged him about seeing a vet several times, but the fox was about as stubborn as a kit. His previous reluctance turned out to be an unexpected boon in the current moment, however, as the bloody nose had left Judy with the perfect opportunity to confront her parents. She glared across the table.

 _Time to get some answers!_

"...What did you do to my fox?"

"Now Jude," responded Stu with a paw raised. "Hold on-"

"No!" Judy squinted her eyes with the same determination she had when interrogating a suspect in a case. "Ever since you two got back, Nick has seemed afraid of me. So you are going to tell me _what you did,_ and you are going to tell me _right_ _now_... _!"_

Stu's face became stern. "Now that's not fair, Jude-"

"-Fair?" she quickly interrupted. "You want to talk about _fair?_ So I suppose it was _fair_ when you assaulted my fox the moment you met him? Am I hearing that right?"

Bonnie's calm, sweet voice came to her husband's defense. "Actually... he _did_ mark you, Judy."

Before Judy could expel the scream which was building in her chest, her father's face filled with guilt.

"Well... _she_ marked _him_ , Bon." Her mother raised her eyebrows as Stu continued. "...In the hospital. Apparently she was the first to mark."

"Oh..." Bonnie's voice held a tone of stifled shock. "Well that explains it...!"

"Explains _what_ , Mom?" Judy was losing her patience, and she was just a little bit annoyed that they seemed to have more knowledge about her fox than _she_ did at the moment...

Bonnie held her paws together and gave her a motherly look. It was tender and careful, indicating she was about to handle a delicate subject. The question she asked was hopeful, yet somehow sad and rhetorical. "Do you know what marking _means_ , Judith?"

Judith. She'd been called _Judith_...

"...Seriously?" Judy's tone was indignant; of _course_ she knew what marking meant! It meant they were serious about their relationship. It told other females to keep their paws off her fox – he was currently seeing somebody else, so don't bother trying to take him.

"No, Judith..." Her mother sighed as the hope in her voice began to fade. "Do you know what marking means _to him?"_

 _I... what...?_ Judy's mind spun as it tried to grasp the question that had just been asked. All of her resolve evaporated, her mind sputtering in desperation to catch up to the switch in focus; in one turn, the issue had stopped being about her parents and had started being about Nick. She could feel her stomach churn with a fresh queasiness...

The confusion must have shown in her wide eyes – her mother's ears dropped with sincere grief. Bonnie turned and looked at her husband. "Oh, _Stu_... That poor fox..."

Stu reached over and patted Bonnie's paw. "He says he understands, Bon."

"Well, bless his heart!" Her mother sniffed as she rubbed an eye with a paw.

Yet again Judy's world was spinning. First the outburst back in the Main Chamber, then their questioning, and now... this? Why did it feel like she'd just failed an important test? She was having a hard time discerning the tone of the discussion, and all she could do was tilt her head in a bewildered look as she slowly placed her paws back down on the table.

"You... _don't_ hate my fox?"

"Heavens, no!" Bonnie laughed at the question, the sound helping to assert the sincerity of the words. "Give us some credit, drama queen! It's clear you two were made for each other."

Judy chuckled in response, sounding both nervous and relieved. She raised her paws as if to physically pull in more information. "Then what is it I'm not getting, here?"

"Nick's ancestors had a more, uh, _monogamous_ history than ours, Jude," informed Stu as he gave an appearance of discomfort with the subject. "For a fox, marking isn't a claim on _courtship_ rights. It's more of a claim on... on _mating_ rights."

Judy howled in disbelief, the entire issue becoming hilarious in one fell swoop! She couldn't believe her ears! (Her glorious, super-sensitive ears!) How could her parents – bunnies, no less – be _that_ upset with the idea of sex? It was unbelievable!

"I'm an _adult_ , guys!" she pointed out with more than a hint of amusement.

"Oh! We, um, figured you were doing _that_ , dear..." Bonnie's ears blushed red as the subject was hinted at. "But that's not what we mean. Marking is more of a, uh... oh, how should I put it? It's sort of like a..."

Stu's eyes lit up with excitement at the idea of being helpful. He quickly raised a digit of a paw. "A proposal!"

Judy's heart slammed into her throat.

"Marriage!?"

"Oh, Stu! Look at what you did!" Bonnie batted the air in his direction to scold him. "No. Not marriage, Judy. Well, not _entirely_. It's just that... foxes have different customs! I'm not sure I'm explaining it properly, but... If I understand it right, marriage is a separate agreement – it's emotional. Marking is, well, _physical_."

"You said you _owned_ him, Jude," Stu bluntly continued, hitting the point home. "You told him he was your _mate_."

 _My... mate._

Judy's mind began to numb as her parents tried to explain the difference between spouses and mates when it came to foxes, her thoughts already whirling in a tornado of emotion... All of this time. She had been marking him all of this time, and she hadn't realized the depth of what that had meant. To her, they were simply dedicated to their relationship. To him, they were mates. She'd half-eloped her fox without even realizing it, drawing the ire of her father when he'd thought Nick had gone behind his back! Except... _she_ was the one who had marked first (not counting the time when Nick had been savage). She'd implied his body was hers, and hers was his – they _owned_ each other, including whatever that entailed.

 _...Just what does that entail?_ she suddenly wondered. _It doesn't include kits... does it?_

His comments about the apartment's playground...

His odd glances...

The pride in his face when she'd complimented him about Abigail and Peter...

 _Holy carrots... Kits! Nick wants kits!_

Judy's mind raced in dizzying circles... The implications! The _questions!_ Did _she_ want kits? She'd never thought that far ahead before! Besides, it wasn't even biologically possible for her to _have_ his kits! But... there were alternatives, weren't there? She...

...The familiar plod of Nick's footsteps returning to the room halted her thoughts. As the fox came around the corner, he froze as he noticed all three rabbits staring straight at him in complete silence. Judy's nose twitched as her nerves rose to new heights. Seeing him there... knowing what she knew...

"Um... did I miss something?"

Judy opened her mouth to speak, but it was not _words_ that came out.

No... It was food.

In front of her parents and the fox she loved, the doe bent over and emptied the contents of her stomach out onto the floor.


	7. Three-Humped Camel

CHAPTER SEVEN:

" _THREE-HUMPED CAMEL"_

* * *

"I know my impeccable sense of fashion _sickens_ you, Carrots, but don'tcha think you're _overstating_ it a little?"

Judy looked up from the pungent puddle of vomit on the floor with a sharp scowl, daring Nick's smug muzzle to make another sound. As it turned out, it didn't need to; her glare seemed to bring the predator all of the satisfaction he had been searching for, the corners of his mouth turning upwards in a conceited grin. Somewhere deep down she knew the humor was a mask for his concern – a way of taking charge in a situation which kept spiraling in weirder directions – but it didn't help ease how _annoying_ his coping mechanisms could be...

 _You know you love him,_ she reminded herself as her dizziness began to fade. _You know you love him, and you love every stupid, idiotic, dumb thing he does._

"No, Nicholas... I think that's roughly the right response," chimed in Bonnie to the dismay of the fox. "And since you caused this mess, it's only fair that you clean it up. Come on, dear."

The last was a prompt for Judy to follow her, a controlled sense of urgency filling the mother's words. There was a restrained electricity within Bonnie; she shook ever so slightly, her throat tightening in a swallow. Judy was baffled. Her mother always held a calm sense of control, practicing her own style of stoicism which could easily have rivaled Nick's. Sure, she'd already seen her mother falter earlier today, but... what in the current situation warranted another lapse?

Judy simply nodded and followed directions, the two does leaving the males behind to clean up her mess (and, apparently, commiserate on the "misunderstood" nature of casual male fashion). Rolling her tongue in her cheek, she suddenly noticed the gross taste in her mouth and wished she'd bothered to grab a glass of water. She would have said as much, too, but her mother's haste took precedence at the moment; Bonnie quickened her gait the further the pair walked.

"Mom, I..."

She had started to try and reassure her mother that she was feeling alright, but Bonnie had interrupted by swiftly ushering Judy into the bathroom. The older doe sighed and locked the door (the act bringing both relief and fresh concern to her posture). Bonnie held her paws together as she gently walked toward Judy, taking a few sharp breaths in failed attempts to speak. Eventually her mother's ears fell as a dejected sheen coated her purple eyes – purple eyes which fixed themselves upon their younger doppelgängers in Judy's face.

"You can tell me how this happened, honey-bun. It's okay. I'll understand."

"What...?" Judy cocked her head and relaxed one ear in lighthearted confusion. "Mom. Nothing 'happened'. I was just a little queasy back there. I'll be fine! I know I'm your kit, but it's not like I haven't had an upset stomach before."

Despite Judy's reassurances, Bonnie's confusing line of questioning continued. "Was this planned? Does Nicholas even _know?"_

"Um... Mom? What are we talking about, here?" She was thoroughly lost now. Clearly the conversation was about something else, but she had no clue as to _what_. An invisible force was causing nervousness to enter her throat...

"Judy..." Her mother's tone was insistent and a little hurt; she stepped closer and slowly placed a paw on her daughter's stomach. "You can _tell_ me, Judy... Who's the father?"

Judy looked down, stunned.

"I'm... I'm not...!"

That was all she had to say. Bonnie quickly grabbed a step stool and reached up into the highest cabinet, grabbing a pregnancy test out of a bulk-sized box of them and practically shoving the stick into Judy's chest. Judy's paws hovered toward the device and froze.

 _This is crazy!_ The affronted bunny huffed and took a step back, shaking her head; why she had even _considered_ taking the test, she couldn't fathom. _I'm not pregnant! I can't be!_

"I saw you watching Nicholas with those kits, dear." Bonnie closed the gap and again offered her daughter the stick in her paw. She forced a soft smile toward Judy as she began to reason with her startled, naïve kit. "You're gaining weight..."

"But that's not-"

Bonnie raised a paw to silence her. "Is this the first time you've been nauseous?"

...No. The answer was 'no'. The truth was that Judy had randomly been feeling a bit sick as of late, usually in the mornings. She'd wondered if the acidity in all the coffee she drank had been getting to her stomach and she had been planning to cut back, but this had been the first time any nausea had caused her to throw up... Apparently Judy's face said enough; Bonnie nodded and continued.

"How about any strange cravings?"

 _No... not that I can-_

Judy's eyes went wide and her nose twitched.

 _-The crickets! I ate crickets!_

Her heart began to race as her breath began to shake, the young doe's mind panicking as she was forced into acknowledging an inconceivable reality. She could be pregnant. Right here, right now, Judy Hopps – the rabbit she saw in the mirror every morning – could have lives growing inside of her. It was neither happiness nor fear, only... shock. Pure, cold, numbing _shock_. Her jaw quivered as her energy slowly drained, her mother noticing her fatigue and guiding her to sit on the lid of the toilet. Looking into Bonnie's eyes... seeing another mammal confirm the possibility...

 _That's_ when the fear struck.

This wasn't happening to some image in the mirror! This was happening to _her!_ Judy's paws trembled as she looked down at her stomach... Bonnie stroked her daughter's ears to comfort her, offering Judy the pregnancy test for the third time.

"I think you need to take the test, dear..."

* * *

"...And the overalls. She doesn't like the overalls! I say they're useful, they're sturdy, and they're comfy." Stu shook his head as he finished spraying the floor with more cleaner. "I work on a _farm_ , Nick. I think I've earned my right to wear them!"

Nick laughed, mopping the freshly-sprayed spot clean. It was hard not to like Stu. The patriarch was the type of mammal who wore his heart on his sleeve – a trait which the fox knew he had passed down to his lovable Judy. Agree or disagree with him, it didn't matter: What you saw was what you got, no tricks attached. It was the opposite of Nick, but it was something he could respect and appreciate nonetheless. Nick would always know where he stood with this mammal.

Stu raised a digit of a paw as though he were teaching a lesson in school. "Nick, I'm telling you _now:_ If you let a female dress you, it will never stop. You will have to fight your way _tooth and claw_ to regain a modicum of independence, and they will hate you for it. It's a slippery slope..."

"Don't worry, Stu. This ain't going anywhere!" Nick gestured to his Pawaiian shirt with a trademark grin. "But I'm glad to have you on my side."

Stu frantically waved his paws in front of himself. "Oh heavens, no! You're all alone there, Nick. That monstrosity is _hideous_."

Nick literally barked with laughter!

 _What did I tell ya',_ he inwardly grinned. _Open book, right there._

Yes, Stu had been the easier of the two parents to win over (a fact which surprised him due to the stories Judy had told). Nick supposed that it was due to the buck's forthcoming nature; the more open you made yourself to to the world, the more open to change you might be – for worse _and_ for better. Nick had experienced none of the prejudice he'd expected; the father had been furious solely from circumstance and not from species. Whatever bias Stu might have held in the past, it hadn't been as deeply-rooted as Bonnie's and it had long since passed. Once they'd begun discussing Nick's mate...

 _No. Not "mate". She isn't yours, Nick..._

Nick choked, eyes blinking back the fresh moisture caused by the sting in his chest. It hurt. It _physically hurt_. Despite all evidence to the contrary, it felt like Judy had left him all alone. The pain was breaking him down, getting to him in ways he hadn't even thought possible. To be a mate was like being a physical extension of the other animal... And to lose a mate?

Nick felt as though somebody had ripped a limb from his body – survivable, but debilitating.

Stu caught the struggle in the fox's emerald eyes. The buck reluctantly sighed and grabbed the mop from Nick, looking up at his face with a newfound reverence for the predator. "Nick... I need you to ask yourself something: Is she worth waiting for?"

Nick blinked. _Yes. Without question. My mate-... Judy is worth waiting for._

"Thought so." Stu chuckled knowingly, bending over and picking up the bucket on the floor. "You've made your decision right there! So you've got no right moping about my Jude when you could be trying to make her feel better. Cripes, you really are as dumb as she says you are... Now _shoo,_ fox. I can put this away myself."

* * *

Pregnant.

She was pregnant.

Judy stared at the lines on the stick, shaking the device in her paw as if it were a magic eight-ball; perhaps it would change and say "don't count on it" or "very doubtful". She'd even settle for "ask again later" – anything which might give her time to contemplate the reality thrust upon her. But no, the answer was always the same: Pregnant. Pregnant pregnant _pregnant_.

 _But... but... How!?_

Bonnie held both of her daughter's paws and smiled soothingly. "Breathe, dear. You have to breathe."

Judy gasped for air as some of her senses returned. "I _can't_ be pregnant, Mom! I just... _can't!"_

"Well, these things can happen, you know." Bonnie's voice was both sad and sympathetic. Judy realized what her mother was implying.

 _She thinks I had a fling!_

But... it wasn't that far-fetched of a conclusion, was it? Clearly she hadn't _planned_ the pregnancy, so the idea of a donor was ruled out. And it wasn't like Judy could be carrying _Nick's_ kits, so...

Wait.

Then how exactly was she pregnant, again?

As Judy's thoughts began to work themselves back into numbing confusion, the familiar, heavy footfalls of Nick's paws began approaching the door. Bonnie was facing away from the door – facing her daughter with full attention – and had yet to notice the sound; before Judy could stop her, Bonnie opened her mouth.

"Judy, if Nick didn't know... Do _you_ know when you became pregnant?"

The footsteps froze. For one agonizing second Judy found herself praying to any deity that might listen, pleading to the heavens that her fox hadn't overheard her mother's question. The doe was even willing to compromise, to allow him to hear if only he didn't jump to the obvious conclusion. But it was not to be. Through the door came a betrayed, high-pitched whimper of a canid – a sound so wounded and wretched it would threaten to haunt her for years to come. It was perhaps the worst sound the bunny had ever heard.

Before she could call out, Nick's footsteps fled into the distance.

* * *

It had taken him a while, but Nick had eventually weaved his way out of the warren and onto a covered patio. The evening had grown dark and the storm had picked back up, the fox's breath visible as the tempestuous wind pulled it out into the spitting rain beyond the railing. He slumped his face into his paws as he leaned his elbows against the balustrade. The journey out of the warren had given him time to burn off the initial intensity of his emotions, leaving the tod empty and defeated.

 _I should have known,_ he chastised himself. _Just when I thought somebody actually wanted me..._

To know that Judy hadn't meant to have him as a mate was crushing enough... But to find out she was pregnant in the same evening? It served him right. Maybe this would teach him to stick with the program – to never let anyone see that they got to him. It only went to show that attachment was vulnerability; the more you cared, the more life would tear you apart.

"Hey there, Red..."

The feminine voice came from behind, timid and trembling. Nick found it hard to name the voice. What should he call her, now? Certainly not Carrots. That was too fond. So was Fluff, or Toot-Toot... Even calling her Officer Hopps wouldn't work, as that would imply authority. Using her _real_ name was entirely out of the question, of course.

Nick sighed, forcing his voice to be as flat as possible. "Congratulations, rabbit. Great news. Truly."

The fox was still too attuned to his bunny; even through all the scents billowing in the air around the pair, Nick could still pick up the salty smell of Judy's tears as she began to sob. His words had cut deep. The guilt he felt at making her cry seemed undeserved to him, the feeling galvanizing him to continue in a futile attempt at overcoming it.

"Who's the lucky father?" he asked dryly.

"N-Nick, I... I don't know," Judy blubbered as she took a step forward. "There hasn't _been_ anyone else! You h-h-have to believe me!"

"I don't have to do _anything_ , rabbit. It's not like I'm your mate..." Nick heard the hitch in Judy's breath, unsure who the sentence had hurt more: Judy, or himself. His commitment to his anger deflated, his voice softening to barely above a whisper. "Judy... What am I to you?"

"What...?"

Nick turned around, his tail resting on his feet as he stared at the boards beneath him. "I know I... I couldn't give you kits, a-and you don't want me like I want you, but... You could've asked me. You could've said _something,_ Judy! Am I not that important? Do I really mean so little to you?"

"Nick, no! T-That's not... I mean..." Judy's words were catching in her throat, her tears soaking the fur beneath her eyes. "I'm _scared_ , Nick. I can't do this without you..."

The implication of her words injured him. After everything she knew about him – about his past – she still entertained the thought that he might leave her. The embers of fresh anger lit themselves as he poured his pain into his words, the sorrow evident with every syllable. "...Do you really think I'd leave my kits without a father?"

Blood began to trickle out his nose.

Judy was staggered, eyes wide. "B-but you aren't... I mean, you _can't be_..."

"I don't _care!_ " Nick yelled with sudden force, the flow of blood increasing as he clawed the air in frustration. He was sick of this. Sick of trying to be understanding. Sick of following _her_ customs when all it did was hurt him. He was a _fox,_ dammit, and he had a right to _act_ that way! His voice began to snarl. "You marked me, Judy! You marked me, and I marked you back! That _makes_ them mine! I don't care about your dumb bunny customs... Those are _my_ _kits_ in there!"

The couple froze, Judy clutching her chest and Nick pointing at her stomach. The only motion was from the wind, the rain, and the drops of blood dripping onto the boards between them. There had been something deeply protective in Nick's tone...

Something _paternal_.

Nick blinked and swallowed, his paw beginning to quiver. As he looked into the amethyst eyes before him, he could tell that she felt it too. What he had said... It just felt _right._

 _Those... those are my kits..._

"No, Nick..." Judy reached out and grabbed his paw, tenderly dragging it down to her stomach for both comfort and affirmation. "I think... I think they're _our_ kits, Nick..."

There was a pause – an instinctual energy within the physical contact.

The fox fell to his knees and pulled his rabbit to his chest in a tight hug, the two breathless animals grasping each other's backs as though they were hanging on to the side of a cliff. This was impossible. _They_ were impossible. And yet the truth stared at the pair in all its terrifying glory.

"...Nick," Judy barely managed to speak. "I think it's about time we saw the vet."


	8. A Wilde Lineage

**Author Edit:** **A note used to exist here which I have removed because it has become obsolete. It had asked readers if and how they'd like me to interact with them (a question that has since been answered), and it explained my reasoning behind some dialogue choices in the previous chapter. I have since subtly edited that dialogue to make it clearer to the reader that Judy didn't cheat on Nick, making that explanation pointless. Please ignore this and continue to enjoy the story! (Also, temporary time-skipping shenanigans are ahead. Fair warning.)**

 **-Wayward**

* * *

CHAPTER EIGHT:

" _A WILDE LINEAGE"_

* * *

Evelyn Wilde did not often dig this box out of the back of her closet, the memories within being too sweet and too painful to endure most days. But this was not "most days", and she wanted to feel like Jackson was still with them for the occasion. It was with that intent that she opened the box, her emerald eyes watering as she tenderly brushed her paw over his carefully-packed belongings.

The first object she came across was not a happy one. Rather, it was a reminder of Zootopia's darker past. The cold steel of the "T.A.M.E. Collar" was like ice to the vixen; she'd never really approved of her husband keeping his father's old collar, but Jackson had argued that it was a sign of freedom – a sign that the world could be made better, despite how bleak things might seem at times.

 _You always were the hopeless romantic,_ she sniffed as she began rummaging through the memories. _I think Nicholas is going to get that from you, by the way._

Eve smiled at the thought. Her husband's "Little Nicky" had grown up fast. He would be proud of his kit...

"How's it coming along, dear?" she asked down the hallway. "Everything fitting fine?"

Her kit's shrill voice called back from the bathroom in an impatient tone, making the vixen giggle. "Yes, Mooooom! Just give me a few minutes! Geez!"

"Whatever you say, dear," she responded in a motherly tone, stifling a laugh as she subtly goaded her little tod. Returning her attention back to the box, Eve's breath hitched in the back of her throat as her eyes caught sight of the engagement ring.

The ring was a solid band of dark fossilized wood outlined by two smaller bands of polished gold. In the center of one side was an embedded square of dazzling emerald – a reference to the vixen's eyes which he had loved so dearly. Eve held the ring in the palm of her paw, remembering the day she had proposed. She had been so nervous! She recalled the unsteadiness of her voice... the way she had tripped over her words... how she had complained to him after it was over about how unfair it was that tods never were the ones to propose. She could see his delightfully pompous smile, even now.

 _You weren't very understanding of my nerves, you know_ , she mentally spoke to the ring. _It was harder than it looked!_

Evelyn placed the ring back in the box, her paws picking up her favorite photograph of her husband. He was dressed up in a suit and hat, posing to look like his favorite singer: Fang Sinatra.

 _I wish you were here, sweetie,_ she choked as a tear rolled down her cheek, her gaze losing itself within the amber eyes in the held photograph. _Nicholas is going to do so well! I can feel it!_

As if on cue her little kit came bounding into the room, the mother quickly forced to hide the emotions which she'd just been feeling. The feat was easy, however, his infectious smile beaming from within the handsome green of his new Junior Ranger Scout uniform. Pride in her face, Eve dragged Nick over to the small mirror next to the phone. "Let's get a better look at you, dear."

She stood behind him, reaching down to tighten the red neckerchief that went so well with his fur. The toothy smile of awe and joy she saw flicker across his face was worth every penny she had saved to purchase the outfit. He really did look sharp as he wore the beginnings of his bright future – a fact which apparently was not lost on the little tod as he squared his shoulders and tightened his jaw in a tough pose.

 _Well now, I can't let that go unanswered,_ grinned Evelyn. _Can't let him grow up with a big head!_

The mother's paws snatched her kit's sides in a flash of motion, the tod yipping with glee as she tickled his smug look right out of him. "Ready to go meet the pack, Nicholas?"

"Yeah...!" came the haughty reply. "Pretty much _born_ ready!"

Evelyn laughed as they headed for the door, the vixen sparing one last glance toward the box before she left.

 _You were right, sweetie. Things can always get better..._

And with that, she turned off the light and closed the door.

* * *

 _One kit. A girl._

Nick and Judy kept staring at each other within the otherwise vacant medical room, their eyes meeting for long moments of time before eventually moving their gaze downward toward the rabbit's stomach and then slowly back up again. Dr. Armadio had left the two alone to go run a prenatal paternity test, reluctantly persuaded to do so only after having viewed the ultrasound. To the parents to be, the image was nothing more than a blob of wonderment (the pregnancy still too early along to make out any recognizable features); to the armadillo veterinarian, the blob was forming in an unusual shape for a bunny at this stage in a pregnancy and it was fairly rare for a rabbit doe to carry only one kit. The doctor had initially been doubtful of Judy's claims of faithfulness, to say the least. Only the rabbit's characteristic determination had managed to convince him to pursue his curiosity, leaving the pair of animals alone in the room – the only splashes of color amid the stark-white decor.

 _One kit. A girl,_ replayed the thought within Nick's head for the umpteenth time, the tod somehow worried it would stop being true if he failed to repeat the words. _One kit. A girl._

You would think the world would've melted away from the news, but in fact the result was the opposite. Nick was very aware of his surroundings – the annoying tick of the analog clock on the wall, the ever-so-faint flicker of the fluorescent light, the sharply clean scent of heavy disinfectant coating every surface... Every detail would be permanently etched into his brain. The most important detail of all, however, was sitting right in front of him: Judy.

 _She's carrying one kit. It's a girl._

Nick refused to allow himself to call the kit _his_. Not yet. Despite his instinct knowing the truth, the fox was still a pessimist at heart; carrying a hybrid to term would undoubtedly come with many unforeseen dangers, both socially and physically. Nick could think of a hundred complications which would all make valid reasons to abandon the pregnancy, and he wasn't about to expect Judy to go through with something so risky just because he'd selfishly made the decision for her. He didn't have the right.

 _She's carrying an embryo,_ he mentally corrected, hoping the impersonal term would help him fight his paternal urges. _It's female._

...No. He couldn't let himself become attached to the life inside of the bunny he loved. That was a decision which was not his to make. As much as he might want the kit, Judy was not actually his mate. Not only did that mean he didn't have a say, but it meant she hadn't been as serious as he had been. Did she even want a kit? He didn't know the answer anymore. It would be better for all involved if he tried to restrain himself, despite every nerve in his body screaming for him to do the exact opposite.

 _My kit,_ he mentally slipped. _My little girl..._

The internal conflict took its toll, expelling itself into the room as a hefty, miserable sigh from the fox's mouth. Judy squinted her eyes in confusion and took Nick's larger paws in her smaller ones, her jaw tightening with sudden concern. "...Nick?"

"It's..." The fox searched for the right words, finding that everything he wanted to say would put too much pressure on the shoulders of the doe before him. He broke eye contact as he decided better of it. "It's nothing, Carrots."

"Try again, Slick." Nick glanced back up at Judy, finding her leaning forward with a lighthearted yet adamant stare. "You claimed me as your mate and you knocked me up, so that sigh had _better not_ be about 'nothing'!"

 _Well, when she puts it like that...!_

Nick gave a shy chuckle and rubbed a paw across his ears toward the scruff of his neck. "Well... that's just it, isn't it? You're _not_ my mate."

Judy opened her mouth to speak then blinked, clearly unable to respond the way she had expected herself to. Her shoulders tensed with unease as she was forced to look away, the awkwardness of her conflicted thoughts becoming palpable in the air between them. She closed her eyes. "I..."

"...It's okay, Carrots." Nick reached a paw out and gingerly cupped his bunny's cheek, turning her face back toward his bittersweet smile. "I'm not going anywhere. I can wait. But... I can't say the same about our, uh... _situation_."

 _One kit. A girl._

Nick coughed as he fought back his nerves, then forced himself to continue. The question had to be asked. "Judy... I need you to think, and to answer me honestly. Do you _want_ this kit...?"

Judy looked stricken, ears shooting up in alert. "What? Nick, why would you ask-"

" _Judy,_ " Nick interrupted as he grasped her shoulder. "Take your time before you answer. Think. I mean _really think_... Do you want this? Who says this will work out? Will it even be _safe?_ This is a big deal, Fluff!"

Judy relaxed into a tired smile, recognizing the fox's fears for what they were. "...Since when have I ever been safe, Nick? I'm a cop – a cop who has _regularly_ contended with savage animals, I might add."

"Okay, let's talk about _that_ then," Nick grimaced in mild frustration; talking sense with the rabbit was like ramming his head into a brick wall. "Being a cop is your _dream_ , Fluff! What about your career?"

"They offer maternity leave for a reason, Red." Judy smirked with pride at her obvious solution to his problem. Her face and ears immediately fell, however, the bunny suddenly realizing the direction of his questions; her fox was trying to talk her out of the pregnancy. Her voice became brittle. "Wait... do _you_ want this kit?"

 _One kit. A girl._

"...More than anything, Judy." All of the predator's muscles slumped in a dismal posture, his arm limply hanging on her shoulder as he closed his eyes. He failed to stop the high-pitched tone of a canid whimper from exiting his throat while he sighed. "That's the problem. I can't... I can't expect this of you! You aren't my mate. I have no say. And you should stop listening to me _right now_ , Judy. Because I will beg, and I will plead, and I will _claw at your feet_ if only you will consider birthing my kit! I love you more than I could ever express and... a-and I will ruin everything we have to guilt you into going through with this! So don't listen to me, Judy... _Please_. This is dangerous. Do you understand that? Dangerous, a-and _difficult_ , a-a-and-"

Small lips interrupted Nick's downward spiral, an equally-small tongue probing his fangs for deeper access into his muzzle. The sudden warmth of emotion caused by the kiss formed an overwhelming cocktail within the despair of his mind. He couldn't help it; tears eased themselves out of his eyes. Judy gently tugged the tod's ears as he obliged, opening his mouth so that their tongues could meet in a slick embrace. Nick exhaled a heavy breath he did not know he'd been holding. Feeling her... _tasting_ her... The fox indulged himself in the comfort she offered, the tension within him leaking out from beneath his eyelids and moistening the cream and russet fur of his cheeks. He needed her. Now more than ever.

Judy broke the kiss and sighed, tilting Nick's head down so she could rest her forehead within the bend where his snout curved upward to meet his eyes. She held his face with both paws. "You can't keep blaming yourself for your mother, Nick..."

...What? Was that what this was about?

Caught off guard by the comment, unpleasant memories began flooding the fox's thoughts. Memories of his mother finding him cowering at the playground, his father's cold body resting on the bark chips after the drive-by shooting... Memories of her saving up her precious money to buy him his Junior Ranger Scout uniform, only for him to waste it by quitting... Memories of her literally working herself to death trying to provide for him, her fatal sickness leaving Nick without a family at the age of twelve...

"Nick," soothed the voice resting against his face. "This isn't like that. I have you, and friends, and _hundreds_ of family members. It'll be okay. We can make this work. And... and I _want_ this kit, Nick. I really want her, just like I know your mother wanted _you_..."

Nick swallowed thickly. How could he respond to that? How could he speak after hearing every word he hadn't known he'd needed to hear? His tongue felt heavy and useless when faced against her reassurances, a tingling pride filling his chest as he let himself smile.

 _Our kit. Our little girl._

Humor. That's how he could reply. It was the one response upon which he could always rely. Nick opened his eyes and stared into the amethysts before him, gleaming. "Since when have you been a psychiatrist, Carrots? Tell it to me straight, doc. What's my prognosis?"

Judy giggled, reaching her paw behind his left ear to rub a spot she knew he loved. It took all his strength not to buck his leg, his toes clenching with the restrained ecstasy. "I'm afraid I have some very bad news for you, Mr. Wilde. There's no way to sugarcoat it: You're _dumb."_

Nick laughed, then lost himself deeper within her purple eyes. His face was dreamy and loving, one of his large paws caressing her ears with a mind of its own. "Are you serious, Judy?"

"Yes, Mr. Wilde," she continued with an ornery smirk. "Your condition is incurable."

"No, I meant-"

His bunny cut him off with a short, sweet smooch to his lips. "I know what you meant, Red. And _yes_. I know the risks. I'm terrified, to be honest. But now I need _you_ to think about it, okay? Do you realize how incredible this is? This has _never_ happened before! This is all moving so _fast_ , and I'm not entirely sure how I feel, but... but we don't know why this happened, or how. This could be our one and only opportunity to have our own kit together, Nick, and I'm not about to throw it away just because I'm not sure I'm ready for it. I've _always_ leapt before I've looked; I'm not about to stop now. Not when it's this important."

 _Our kit. Our little girl._

"Besides," Judy continued, glancing back down at her stomach. "This isn't only about us. Do you realize what she'll be? What she'll mean for _Zootopia?_ She'll be the first ever hybrid kit, Nick! That's bigger than both of us! We have a duty to give her a chance..."

 _How predictable,_ smirked Nick in amusement. _Leave it to Carrots to turn having a baby into a "duty"!_

"Don't you see, Nick?" Judy crawled onto his lap, wrapping her arms around his shoulders as she brought her nose forward to touch his. "...She's a _miracle_."

"That she is, Ms. Hopps." A light knock came from the open door to the room, Dr. Armadio's small figure standing in the threshold with a poorly-concealed aura of excitement. "My sincere congratulations to the both of you. I don't know how you two managed it, but there's no better word for her. She's a scientific _miracle._ "

 _Our miracle..._

Nick again looked down at Judy's stomach, letting the doctor's confirmation take his breath away.

 _...Our little angel._

* * *

Angelica – meaning "angelic" or "messenger of God". Also the name of a tall perennial flower native to subarctic habitats which could be used for herbal medicine.

Lorelei – meaning "temptress" or "alluring enchantress". Also the name of her great grandmother, known for her amazing breeding accomplishments.

Wilde...

 _Because I'm wild and sexy as hell!_

Angel confidently swayed her adult hips as she slammed the gym locker shut, sashaying over to the mirror to let her amber eyes give herself a playful once-over. Her fur was a slightly different color than her mother's cool silver; she was more of a warm, rusty gray. Angel's initial appearance closely resembled the size and shape of her mother as well, although other features quickly revealed the vulpine side of her lineage. Her paws were larger than a rabbit's for one thing, and they were adorned with the predatory claws of her father. Her long ears were also not entirely round – narrowing to dull, tufted points as they reached the tips – and her nose was black. A long, fluffy tail swished behind her image in the mirror, perhaps the clearest sign of the fox DNA she had in her blood. Like her father, the fur of her ears, paws, feet, and tail were all a much darker shade. She flashed herself a grin, her typical bunny teeth showing in all their glory.

 _I am one fine vixen, if I say so myself!_

Her vanity was yet another trait she'd inherited from her father. It was a quirk she didn't mind in the least as she finished admiring her form in the reflection before her, her mossy green tank-top and dark green shorts playing off her subtly-earthy fur nicely. Content with her appearance, Angel quickly strapped herself into her climbing harness and made her way out of the locker room. All around her was a wide expanse of indoor climbing walls suitable for varying sizes of mammals, a large sign near the entrance reading the gym's name: "Zootopia Rocks".

 _Better not keep him waiting,_ she mused as she began making her way toward the appropriately-sized section of the gym. _You know how he worships punctuality._

Angel loved this place. She had good memories here, it being the regular hangout spot for her and her lifelong friend. Sal and Meredith had insisted upon Angel meeting their son and on having the two grow up together. Nowadays crossbreeds were becoming more of a regular occurrence, but back then they had been the first two – her by accident, and him by science and design. In a way, the male owed his life to her existence. It was a fact she never failed to tease him about whenever she was given the chance.

 _Someone's gotta' be alpha, after all,_ she mentally joked, repeating the line she always gave him when he complained about her antics.

It was then that she caught the male's scent approaching from behind her, Angel's nose being infinitely better than that of a normal rabbit. He was impressively light on his feet – too light to properly hear over the noise of the gym (even with her sensitive ears) – but there was no mistaking his unique mixture of scents: A spicy blend of feline and hare.

"Hey there, Tiger," she called over her shoulder as she turned around to face the deep Night Howler blue of his intense cat eyes. "What took you so long?"

The white tiger-striped jackrabbit snorted and revealed his pointed fangs for the briefest of moments, then quickly regained the composed calmness which he practiced so dearly. His paws cupped behind his back as he stood up straight in a formal posture. "I could ask the same of _you_ , Ms. Wilde."

Angel simply leaned back and lazily smirked, looking very much like her father in the moment.

"It's good to see you too, Jack."


	9. Flicker

**Author's Note:** _So here we have it! I'm going to experiment with being more communicative. As such, I'm testing slight changes in the formatting of my notes (I felt forcing you to read my responses in bold would probably get annoying reaaally fast). I still prefer PM'ing my readers, as many of you know, so here is how I'm going to try to make this work: The bulk of my communication will still be via PM, but I will reply publically to various comments if I feel so inclined (for example, addressing the concerns people rightfully had about the surprising time-skip). I will try to respond to those who may not receive PM's, but my sincere apologies if I miss anyone in this process!_

 **In response to the comments about the infamous Time-Skip:** _I'd planned for it to be confusing, but I'd hoped it would be intriguing as well. With this in mind (and considering it's taken us three chapters longer to get to this point than I'd intended), I've decided to eschew a bit of the planned "mysterious confusion" in favor of giving a tiny, early glimpse into what is going on. I honestly think this change is for the better. Nick and Judy are still the main story, and I strongly believe the secondary tale of Jack and Angel will serve to add weight to their story rather than take it away. Perhaps this chapter will begin to show what I mean by that._

 _On a different note: Chapters within a time period other than the present will only be told through the perspective of a character exclusive to that time period. (i.e. - The future will never be told through Nick's eyes, for example.) My hope is that as you learn the characters it will become clear where and when you are. I'm still playing around with more overt tactics in announcing a timeline-hop, but I've yet to find a solution I'm satisfied with._

 **PM'd people:** _You all know who you are! :-)_

 **craztrain99:** _As I always tell you, thanks for the feedback and for your persistent support since the first day of my first story!_

 **Okamiluver00:** _Like we discussed, I can't promise you'll like the direction this story is headed. That said, many thanks for the patience and feedback! Perhaps this chapter will ease your worries a bit (although I can make no guarantees)._

 **Guest #1:** _Yes! Her "Nick" qualities are quite apparent! There's even some reason to that, actually. That said, (depending on how much I'll get to show of her) I think you'll begin to see the subtler, yet very important ways she takes after Judy._

 **SaberGatomon:** _Dunno' if you received your PM, but it was basically a lengthy "thank you" for bothering to express your enjoyment and support! I'm aiming to tell a very different "Nick and Judy are pregnant" story than the norm, and it's incredibly reassuring to hear from any and all readers who are becoming invested in it. Sometimes I think I'm just being crazy! xD_

 **SlickNick:** _Also dunno' if you received your PM, so I'll say it shorter. Thank you! I'm excited, too!_

 **Koare-san:** _I hope I properly answered your question in our PM. I will always try to answer any questions people have!_

 **7sky:** _Like I admitted to you, your words "if you can pull it off" are indeed the key, there! I make no promises, but I'll try my best. ;-)_

 **Guest #2:** _Holy cow! That's a fantastic idea! I've done a lot of research for the details of this story, but I hadn't come across dewlaps. If I can still work that detail in without it seeming jarring, I DEFINITELY will! I give you all the credit for the idea, you wonderful mystery-reviewer you!_

 **RemyW:** _Last, but not least. I have appreciated the conversations we have had regarding our respective stories, and you have unwittingly helped me through a few periods of writer's block. You have been both a pleasantly-needed distraction as well as a bit of an aid in this tale. Thank you. As always, I look forward to the next chapter of your story, although I urge you to take the time you need. (And yes, that was a shameless plug for "Between the Lines" right there!)_

 _ **Sincerely,**_

 **-Wayward**

* * *

CHAPTER NINE:

" _FLICKER"_

* * *

"Take!"

Jack Savage quickly pulled the rope taut, locking his paws beneath his belay device as he sat back into his climbing harness. With a loud, clear voice he called back up the wall at Angel. "Gotcha'!"

Jack felt himself take her weight as she let go of the wall and dangled in the air above him, Angel casually beginning to bounce off the wall with one foot. Shaking out her arms, the doe eyed the route before her with a frustrated huff.

 _Vixen,_ he mentally corrected himself. _Not a doe. She's definitely a vixen._

"Five-ten-minus, my _ass_ ," growled the swinging female. "Fuckin' _crimps_..."

Jack allowed himself a quiet chuckle at the incongruity of their absurd friendship; it was as though Angel found it necessary to counter his civilized mannerisms with her coarse behavior. Her flamboyance really should've repulsed the feline buck – her regular obscenities grated against his sophisticated upbringing in particular – but something about her company always gave him a pleasing sense of freedom. Her bad influence was... somehow _good_ for him. Still, they _were_ in public, and Jack _did_ have his standards. As was usual, he corrected her.

" _Language_ , Ms. Wilde," he called up to the vixen with a hint of amusement. "Unless you mean to imply that those rocks are currently enjoying the act of copulation...?"

Angel didn't take the bait. She looked down at Jack and held up her large paws. "It's these damn paws of mine, Tiger! Can't seem to get a grip."

Jack smirked, almost revealing his feline fangs – fangs which, out of embarrassment, he always tried his best to keep concealed. " _Indeed,_ Ms. Wilde. I've been telling you to get a grip for _years_."

" _Har har_ , rich boy. I guess _somebody's_ feeling a bit feisty today..." Angel stuck her tongue out at him, then returned her attention back to the problem at paw. She reached into her chalk bag and began coating her dark paws with the white dust. "I think I'm gonna' try and dyno it."

The buck rolled his eyes. Finesse wasn't exactly Angel's strongest suit. If she could find a dramatic solution to a problem, she almost always took it. The vixen had somehow managed to inherit her father's ingenuity without gaining his corresponding shrewdness, becoming brash and flirtatious rather than sly. Schemes were for patient mammals; Angel thrived on impulse. The less chance she had to think, the smarter she was. Chaos was her element.

Angel grabbed back onto the wall. "Climbing!"

Keeping one paw on the rope below the belay device, Jack moved his other paw up and grabbed the rope hanging in front of him. He resumed his usual stance and called back to let her know he was ready. "Climb on!"

Jack watched with anticipation as Angel shifted her weight and bobbed, testing her placement on the wall for the move she had planned. After making a slight adjustment to her balance, the gray figure slowly scrunched her body together and tightened her grip. She turned her eyes upward, focusing on a hold far above her on the wall... Could she make it?

 _Come on, Angel,_ encouraged the buck, tensing his body in preparation for the leap. _You've got this..._

Like a coiled spring being suddenly released, Angel's body rocketed up the wall in an almost _predatory_ lunge! She had put all her might into her strong lapin legs, soaring an impressive distance skyward while extending an arm above herself to reach toward her goal. An audible slap echoed from the wall, white chalk dust falling from beneath the successfully-placed paw. Angel let herself hang from the paw as her face lit up with unadulterated joy.

 _She did it!_

Jack quickly took the slack, his ears stiffening with excitement as he shared in her victory. Climbing always felt like a team sport to him; he was just as elated as she was. Her innocent grin slid into one of her obnoxious ones, however, leading the buck to realize his mouth was open in a razor-toothed smile. His ears quickly flushed red with mortification and fell behind his back to hide themselves. Knowing better than to try to convince him his shame was unreasonable, Angel visibly restrained her teasing before she brought her other paw up for a better purchase.

"Piece of carrot cake," she bragged, regaining four points of contact with the wall.

Jack's eyebrows furrowed. "I thought you _hated_ carrots."

"I still do!" Angel started to continue her way up the wall. "I hate 'em about as much as I hate those stupid crimps! Hence the comparison!"

The crux of the route defeated, Jack admired Angel as she made quick work of the rest of the route; she made good use of her tail, flagging the extra appendage to help redistribute her weight as needed for any given move. The vixen victoriously slapped the top of the wall in no time, looking down at Jack with a giddy pride. "Take!"

Again, Jack pulled the rope taut. "Gotcha'!"

She gave a two-digit salute in reply. "Ready to lower!"

"Lowering!"

Angel bounded down the wall as she was lowered, tapping her forearms with her fists to ease the pain. She also clenched and stretched the digits of her paws which were stiff from the exertion. Once safely belayed to the ground, she began untying herself. "Off belay."

"Belay is off." Jack detached the belay device from his harness and pawed it to her, switching places with his friend. He tied himself in. "Got any good beta for me?"

Angel gave a teasing sigh. "That's _cheating,_ Tiger."

Jack squared his shoulders, tilting his chin up as his eyes became half-lidded. "What you call _cheating_ , dear Angelica, I call _tactics_. It never hurts to be prepared."

"I do say you are quite right, Mr. Savage," mocked Angel, cupping her paws behind her back as she laced her voice with feigned dignity. "Verily, _indeed_ , good sir!"

Jack raised a digit of his paw. "Ah! I'd be careful, Ms. Wilde! You wouldn't want me getting the wrong idea, would you? They say imitation is the greatest form of flattery, after all."

"...Whatever." The vixen relented and pointed up the wall. "See that jug? Yeah... _not_ a jug. It's totally a sloper. Don't trust it."

 _See?_ he thought to himself as he completely turned away from his friend to face the wall. _Was that so hard to say?_

" _Thank_ you, Ms. Wilde. I will find that information quite- _ACK!_ " A sharp slap to his rear interrupted the buck, his ears quickly burning with fresh embarrassment. "Ms. _Wilde!_ "

Jack's body whirled around to face his assailant, his honor needing to be defended.

...And he found nothing.

Nothing but a raging blizzard for as far as the eye could see. A cold, desolate wasteland threatening to freeze him to his very core... There was no climbing gym. There was no Angel. There was only the snow barraging his tiny form – a form which seemed to be covered in strange, unknown gear. Jack began to feel lightheaded...

 _Where the hell am I?_ he asked, allowing himself the rare curse. _What am I... doing here?_

"Agent Savage...? Can you hear me?"

A voice called to him through some device in his ear, feminine and firm. It sounded... familiar? Recognizable? He'd never heard this female before in his _life_ , and yet... and yet he could swear he could put a face to the sound. It was bizarre. Somehow, he _knew –_ knew the voice belonged to a fox.

"Agent Savage, abort the mission and head to extraction. I repeat: _Abort the mission_."

Before he could think about what he was doing, some instinct brought his paw up to his ear and pressed a button; his mouth moved of its own accord. "What? _Why?"_

"We have a situation, Jack. Kingdom is pulling all agents. We're needed back home."

Jack was stunned, but he did not understand why. Again, his mouth spoke on its own. "Wait... Just how bad of a situation are we talking about, Skye?"

"It's a _Code Wildfire_ , Jack..." The fox's voice paused, her tone fighting back a subtle hint of fear. "...Zootopia has fallen."

 _That... that can't be...!_

Jack blinked, the frigid landscape disappearing as fast as it had arrived. Angel stood before him with a playful smugness plastered across her face, the climbing gym surrounding the pair of hybrids with its bright colors. Jack tried to hold the vision – to understand it – but it was no use. As reality resumed, the images he'd seen disappeared from memory.

It was like they had never happened at all...

* * *

Mother Nature groaned.

 _Not again..._

The development was _frustrating_ , to say the least. She'd caught the little discrepancy – the brief flicker of change within the sensitive fabric of reality: One moment in time, two completely different scenes. Parallel, yet separate. The universe was caught in the middle as it tried to decide the outcome of the events which she'd put into motion. The flicker indicated instability; somewhere within her precious equation was some element of uncertainty which, if left unaddressed (assuming it could be addressed at all), would lead to an entirely different outcome than intended.

 _Oh, how fragile a story Existence truly is,_ she sighed to herself. _The future isn't set in stone, after all..._

This was hardly the first time Nature had encountered such an issue, and she knew it would hardly be her last, either. The most important moments almost always were the most brittle – a fact which would've driven the perfectionist storyteller insane had she been mortal like her creations. As it was, she was concerned. These things tended to run in extremes: The more important the development, the greater the consequence could be in either direction. _This_ development, for instance, was crucial. Either her children would be ushered into a new age, or... or it could go the way it had just threatened to.

 _Adapt or die,_ she recited. _The Law of Evolution._

She recalled the previous instance where Existence had begun to flicker. It had been in the Zootopian Natural History Museum, a certain fox and rabbit cowering in a pit as Dawn Bellwether raised her pellet gun toward them. The first try at the scene hadn't gone as planned; Bellwether succeeded in turning Nick savage. Not having the practice he'd later gain when facing the Coo Clucks Clan, Nick had turned on his future partner and had ripped the poor bunny to shreds... It was all the world had needed to devolve into a dystopian nightmare. Slowly, _carefully_ , Bellwether had fanned the flames of fear. First came the segregation, then the new collars... and then? With a fateful press of a button the evil ewe had overloaded the systems of the collars, committing _genocide_. All predators had been wiped from the face of Zootopia...

 _Blueberries,_ chuckled Mother Nature. _What do my children like to say, again? The devil is in the details?_

Yes, blueberries had been the answer. Originally _crickets_ had been Nick's favorite snack (a trait which Nature hadn't quite erased from the tod); he'd pointedly used the insects to gross Judy out during the case, sarcastically attempting to repel her with his "predatory ways". It had been amusing, but not essential. All Mother Nature had needed to do was add one extra recipe to Evelyn Wilde's cookbook – a blueberry pie – and the new treat of his youth had changed Nick's tastes forever. This change had eventually led to Nick carrying some of the berries with him during the chase in the museum, and thus the hustle of Dawn Bellwether was born!

 _Such a silly solution to such a massive problem! It's a shame they all can't turn out that way..._

Nature had been lucky. She had found an insignificant detail which she could easily change. All-powerful that she was, changing a story was still far more difficult than a mortal might think; _she_ might not have any rules to limit her, but the world she'd created certainly did. She could not force a change upon her creation which did not make sense, else the equation would fall apart (and all of Existence with it). The equation had to always remain just that: An equation. Mother Nature could shuffle the numbers, but she could not unbalance them.

 _And sometimes even I can't stop something from occurring..._

Nature thought back to her beloved Martin Leopard King Junior, a mighty crusader for hope and acceptance in a time of Zootopian turmoil. He had been a character she had loved deeply. Her plans for Martin had been much grander than what had transpired. Sure, he'd accomplished a great deal, but... The leopard could've been so much more.

 _His life was ended too soon._

Mother Nature had tried to fix the story – searched every angle she could conceive to prevent his assassination – but balance was a mandatory thing within the fabric of Existence, and Martin had been a very public figure in the struggle for predator equality. Every thwarted threat would be replaced with another. Every protection would come with a fatal flaw. She could alter the time and circumstance of his execution – make it as meaningful as she could – but she had never been able to stop his death from happening altogether. There had been too many factors stacked against the leopard; his demise had been set from the beginning.

 _I hope that is not the case here,_ fretted Nature as she gazed upon her first two hybrid children. _For their sake, and for the sake of their world..._

She sighed again, swimming backward through the waters of time. As the ripples subsided, she found herself standing beside a tired rabbit and fox who were returning home from a _very_ astonishing trip to Bunnyburrow, their luggage held limply in their paws. The father-to-be was currently fussing with the sticky lock of their apartment, a problem which had only become worse since they'd moved in.

"Just give me a sec, Carrots," he grunted as he began to shove his shoulder against the door. "Almost... _got_ it! Ha! Let it be known that your fox _provides!_ "

Judy gave a lazy smirk as they headed inside (having no extra energy to spare on any further display of emotion). "I knew I kept you around for _something..._ "

Mother Nature intently watched the two as the story before her continued to tell itself. She was not there to control the journey; she was just a guide. Nature grimaced, dipping her pen back into the starry ink of history.

 _This is going to be stressful..._

With trepidation, she continued to write.

Nature was searching for a way...


	10. I'll Be Waiting For You

**Author's Note:** _First thing's first... Chapter 7 ("Three-Humped-Camel") has had a subtle edit. Due to the confusion the chapter is consistently bringing when readers reach it in the story, I have gone back and made it a bit clearer to the reader that Judy never cheated on Nick. It's only one line of dialogue, but I thought I'd bring it up regardless._

 _Second, I am now also posting my stories on AO3. There will be no difference between the two sites for "Birth of Angel", although "Animal Instinct" has been edited down a bit here on FanFiction to better follow ZNN's submission guidelines. (The original version now lives on AO3.)_

 _Third, I feel I owe all of you an explanation for this long gap between updates (despite none of you complaining to me about it)! For starters, I had to take a week and a half off from the story to fight off writer's block (this story is now longer than the original, and I was suffering a bit from creative fatigue). After that, I had some important life stuff to deal with: I worked hard to apply to a 3D Animation school, and I'm pleased to announce I found out yesterday that I got in! It's been a dream of mine which I've been struggling for years to find a way to be able to properly pursue, so I can't tell you how much this meant to me! I appreciate your patience while I dealt with that._

 **Comments:** _I'm just going to quickly respond to everyone en-masse this time around because I PM'ed you all anyways (and that way you can get on with the story)! As always, thank you all for the praise. I have fun when I know YOU are having fun, so it creates a pleasant cycle of "fun" all around! I'm not going to comment here on the infamous "comic", but I do want to say this isn't trying to contrast with it (although the comparisons are natural to make due to the subject material). If you're worried about the fates of the heroes, then I'm doing my job! Drama is supposed to be... well... dramatic! And I will confirm: Earlier details are indeed going to be important later on. ;-)_

 ** _Sincerely,_**

 **-Wayward**

* * *

CHAPTER TEN:

" _I'LL BE WAITING FOR YOU"_

* * *

Nick flicked the light switch on as he and Judy entered the apartment, breathing a heavy sigh of relief at having returned to the safety of their home – their little corner of sanity within the madness of the world. He was going to need an extra weekend to recover from the weekend he'd just had. In lieu of that impossibility, the fox reluctantly settled upon the alternative: Booze. It's not like he didn't _like_ alcohol; Nick simply needed to feel like he was in control. Still, Judy had slowly acclimated him to its benefits within the safety of her presence, and he'd finally purchased himself a bottle just in case he ever found himself wanting the mind-loosening liquid for some reason or another.

Now? Now he had a reason. It was a doozy, too.

Nick threw his bag on the floor and discarded their Ramtrak ticket stubs into the trash as he made his way to the kitchen, a rapid thumping sound making him pause and turn back around. There stood Judy, paws on hips, an expectant look in her eyes. She pointedly nodded toward the lazily-tossed bag.

"Yes, dear," mocked the tod as he attempted a recalcitrant roll of his eyes. He immediately lost his nerve, however, walking across the room and picking his bag up off of the floor. He should've known Judy wouldn't stand for any mess, but he still liked to test his limits on occasion. Sadly, such tests often came with consequences; the rabbit tilted her chin up and gave a purposeful cough, holding her own bag out toward him with a smile.

 _Nicholas Wilde, you are one whipped fox,_ he shamefully admitted to himself, taking Judy's luggage from her and heading toward the bedroom. His bunny decided to rub it in.

"Gooooood booooy!" she cooed at his back, fully aware of the power she held over the retreating predator.

Nick repressed a laugh and raised a paw to give it a forward flick, mimicking the sound of a cracking whip as he did so. "Wh-psh!"

Judy tittered with amusement, flopping into the sweet, cushy embrace of their couch as the fox disappeared into the bedroom to properly dispose of their belongings. Upon his return, Nick was treated to an adorable sight: A content silver bunny curled up against velvety brown upholstery, her ears draped down the sides of her face and hugged to her chest, her lips curled upward in a smile, purring.

Nick's heart fluttered.

 _I'm most certainly a whipped fox,_ he sighed. _But I suppose that's a price I'm willing to pay..._

A proper male had to at least make an _effort_ at resistance, though! It was customary! Making eye contact with his bunny as he headed back toward the kitchen, the fox tilted his ears back in a playful scowl, sticking his tongue out at her for childish emphasis. Judy laughed.

"Oh, stop it! I'm not believing it for a second!" Judy's smile grew wider as she pointed at Nick's rear. "Not while you still have _that_ , at least."

Nick twisted his torso to look behind himself. There, high in the air, was his bushy tail. It wagged back and forth, taunting him with its unmistakable happiness. The fox raised two digits of his paw and pointed to his eyes, then pointed to his tail with a challenging glare. "I'm on to you, _traitor!_ "

The eruption of giggles coming from the couch was music to his ears; his rabbit's laughter was a sound he was sure he'd never get tired of! It was nice, this banter. Easy. The lightheartedness was a much-needed change of pace from the drama of the weekend. It reminded him that this was still his life – that he hadn't been transported to some bizarre alternate dimension where everything was always stressful. He still had his job, his home, his bunny, and his unborn child.

 _...Right. What was that about booze, again?_

The process of realization was a funny thing; it had hit him in stages. The first stage had been one of pure emotion: Stuck in unfamiliar surroundings in an impossible situation, the realm of reality had seemed like some distant land to the stunned fox. Stage two had been focused on logic: With Judy sleeping during most of the train ride home, Nick had used the time to ponder about their future and how they might solve the inevitable problems they would face. Now came the third stage: Inviting that logic and that emotion into the familiar confines of his home – his _life_ – coming to terms with the fact that the revelations of the weekend had followed him home and were here to stay. He now found that there was nothing quite like the idea of fatherhood to make one realize they were no longer in full control of their life.

 _Might as well try to embrace it,_ he reasoned with himself as he reached for the bottle in the cabinet, his body already filling with subdued anxiety from the fresh impact of reality. _If I'm not going to be in control, the least I can do is to try and enjoy it!_

Nick took a look at the unopened, squarish bottle in his paw: Bengal's Bark, a small-batch bourbon whiskey with a red wax seal. He still didn't know much about alcohol, but it had looked fancy and it was made by a fox-run distillery; he'd decided it was worth a try. Shrugging his shoulders, Nick plopped a couple ice-cubes into a glass and poured himself his first taste, a spicy scent of wheat and oak filling his nostrils in the process. Upon his first taste he discovered he quite liked the stuff! It was rather mellow for a whiskey – something he was thankful for, having never become accustomed to the "burn" of alcohol due to his previous avoidance of it. He sighed, letting himself savor the treat.

"I'd offer you some," he nodded toward Judy as a guilty afterthought. "But..."

" _Pregnant_ ," she finished for him, gesturing at her stomach.

There was that word again – that wonderful, yet somehow-terrifying affirmation of reality! The fox looked at his glass and began taking another sip, trying to forget about it. It wasn't that he suddenly didn't want the child – he was thrilled beyond measure at the idea of being a father – but he needed a taste of normalcy, if only for the evening. Judy, however, was the kind of mammal who needed to tackle things right away. Knowing this, Nick began counting down in his head...

 _Five... four... three... two..._

"Speaking of which..." she began, predictably. Before she could continue, Nick quickly downed the rest of his glass in one impulsive gulp. The bunny's eyes went wide. "Woah! Easy there, Slick! Pace yourself!"

Nick chuckled, slightly embarrassed. He rubbed his scruff as he felt the effects of the bourbon begin to kick in. "Sorry, Carrots."

Judy clearly was unprepared for the indulgent sight before her, the doe sitting up on the couch as he poured himself another small glass, concern wavering in her voice. "Are you... um... You're not getting second thoughts... are you?"

"No!" The word came from his lips loud and clear, without any hesitation, his free paw thrusting out in front of him as if to physically stop the idea. The unbridled reaction was so uncharacteristic of the tod it surprised them both. Nick gave a suspicious glance toward the liquid in his glass and continued, albeit in a much quieter and more restrained fashion. "No. It's just that, um... no. I'm not. No."

"Good! Neither am I!" Judy smiled and relaxed, although tentatively. Her eyes scanned the fox head to toe, squinting as she appeared to search for the source of his unease. Her mouth scrunched in dissatisfaction when she came up empty-pawed. "Okay, now that _that's_ settled... I think we need to talk about this weekend."

 _Knew it,_ Nick heftily exhaled. _Knew it, knew it, knew it!_

Judy tilted her head in confusion and disappointment; there's no way she hadn't heard his sigh. "...Nick?"

"Sorry. It's just, um..." Nick swirled his glass, making the ice clink. "Can this wait until tomorrow? Please? I promise you nothing is wrong..."

Nick found himself fascinated by his beverage, unable to look up at his bunny due to a feeling of weakness. It didn't feel right to ask her to wait – not when _she_ was the one with a life inside of her! He suddenly felt very selfish...

"Of course." Judy placed a paw on Nick's wrist, having walked over to him when he'd been too distracted by his thoughts. She slowly grabbed the glass out of his paw and gently placed it on the counter, then pulled him into a short, tender kiss. She placed her paws on his chest and smiled. "I'm eager to talk, but I'm not going to push it right now. We're tired. So let's go to bed, okay? I can wait until morning."

The fox's ears relaxed backward, a smile coming to his lips as he brought a paw up to pet her cheek. _She's too understanding. Just one more thing I love about her._

"Thanks, Carrots. I owe you one."

"Mmmm..." Leaning into his paw, Judy resumed purring. "You owe me more than that, Red..."

Nick snickered. "Duly noted."

The sudden urge to cuddle was almost unbearable – to hold her close and feel her with as much of his body as he could. It was not lust (he was too tired for that at the moment), but the feeling was just as deeply-rooted in his instincts. He needed her against him, to smell her, to _scent_ her...

 _Okay, that's enough of that,_ he inwardly groaned, barely keeping himself from following through with the urge to embrace her and mark her, the alcohol in his system only making things more difficult. _Time for bed, before you make a mess of things._

Pulling away from Judy had been tough, but knowing they'd soon be sharing a bed had helped the fox negotiate with his instincts. The two quickly ate light bedtime snacks and brushed their teeth, their exhaustion becoming ever more apparent in their bodies. The weekend had been long, stressful, and exciting. Rest would be all too welcome. Their nighttime routine complete, Judy and Nick stripped their clothes and eagerly slipped into the comfort of the sheets. Their contented sighs came in unison.

 _What a crazy life you live, Nicholas Wilde._

Nick felt a familiar warmth snuggle up against him and then roll over, the bunny in his bed pressing her back against his chest to assume their usual sleeping position. Somewhere in his mind he knew that the close proximity should be avoided – that it'd be too difficult for him to resist the compulsions brought about by his season – but his tiredness and his drink-addled state weakened his resolve. He caved. The fox readily spooned his rabbit, his throat instinctively rumbling with the thick reverberations of a vulpine purr as he wrapped himself tightly around her. Judy lightly hummed with contentment.

 _Mine,_ came a deeply primal voice within Nick's head. _Mine. This is mine!_

 _He has a point,_ replied another voice, his willpower weakening further as his thoughts turned against him. _She's already yours, Nick. You bred her. She's carrying your young._

 _My rabbit!_ The first voice barked, emboldened. _My female! My mate! This is mine!_

 _No,_ finally admonished his weary voice of reason, fashionably late. _Not yet. And if any of you want a snowflake's chance in hell with her, then you need to shut up and go to sleep!_

Having properly told himself off, Nick tried his best to relax. He focused on the subtle whine of the vents, the dull thrum of the rain outside of the apartment, the cool, humid air entering his lungs with each leisurely breath... air which smelled heavily of the female clutched tightly in his arms. Her scent was intoxicating: Grassy and almost cloyingly flowery, yet also containing just the right amount of earthy bitterness to give the fragrance a clean finish. It always left the fox craving more, yearning to nuzzle his snout into her fur and breath her in fully. It was positively _addicting!_ There was just one maddening imperfection with it at the moment...

 _She doesn't smell like ME._

Judy's scent no longer held the heavy, musky spice added by his mark; the two of them had stopped scenting each other after having discovered their mutual misunderstanding, and by the end of the weekend Nick's previous mark had been washed away. His logical side knew it was for the best – knew that she shouldn't wear his mark until she was sure she was ready – but his logical side had also just imbibed a healthy portion of bourbon! Logic threatened to give way to instinct. It would be so easy... She was right there, curled against him, his chin resting on her head. All he had to do was rub his mark on her. One swift, intimate motion and her scent would be right again. Her scent would be _his_.

 _Ugh... I said "no", dammit!_

Nick tensed his entire body in a last-ditch effort to resist his urges, finally letting go of Judy and rolling away from her with a frustrated sigh. The sheets behind him rustled in response. Soon after, he heard a soft click and his closed eyelids became bathed in light. Nick yawned and opened his eyes, discovering one vexed bunny sitting up and staring at him with droopy ears, the lamp on the nightstand behind her serving as the source of illumination.

"Okay, I lied," she said with a huff as she coaxed the fox to sit up with her. "I _can't_ wait. We need to talk about this, Nick."

Nick had wanted to wait until morning – wait until he'd had some proper rest before bringing up anything important – but he couldn't blame her for her insistence given the struggle he'd just gone through. He sighed, reluctantly resting his head against the wall. "...Fair enough, Fluff. What do you want to talk about?"

The tension in Judy's body visibly ebbed as her ears raised, clearly reassured, but then her eyes flitted with a timid sadness as she took a breath to begin. She looked confused. "Okay, well, um... What about just now? Why are you pulling away from me? Do you... not want to touch me anymore?"

"No, Judy. That's not the problem. _Trust_ me." Nick tilted his head up to look at the ceiling, ashamed of his predicament. "I _want_ to – oh, do I ever! But... I don't know how to restrain myself. I've never been close to anyone during my season before. It's not like I _knew_ I was into cute little bunnies, let alone- _OW!_ " – Nick rubbed his shoulder where he'd just been boxed. – "Hey! I'm baring my _soul_ here, Fluff!"

Judy crossed her arms across her chest. "Well then, maybe you should remind your _soul_ that the 'c-word' is still off limits!"

Nick gave an indignant grumble, but thought better than to argue. He continued. "As I was _saying_ , before I was so _violently interrupted_... I've always been a bit, uh, _frustrated_ during my seasons, but it's not like I've had any real prospects around. But _now_..."

 _How am I going to put this...?_

Judy rolled a paw in the air to urge him to continue. "Now... what?"

"I had to stop myself, Judy," he began answering bluntly, taking advantage of the tongue-loosening aspects of the alcohol to be more honest and detailed than he'd normally be. "I want to claim you so bad it _hurts!_ I _had_ to separate myself! I was _this close_ to holding you down and marking every inch of you with my scent – and I do mean _every_ inch, Fluff – and if I weren't so tired, that wouldn't have been the _only_ way I would've claimed you, either. _Ohhhh_ , no. I would've made you _mine_."

Nick watched as Judy swallowed, the insides of her ears flushing red as her breathing increased. There was a delicious change in her scent – a change he knew well. He smirked.

 _The nose knows, Wilde,_ he mentally took note. _You'll have to remember that and save it for the future!_

"Anyways..." he continued, drawing the word out as his bunny began to recover from her thoughts. "We'll be okay on that. I'll just pick up some Season Suppressants when we go out to get your vitamins tomorrow. Our healthcare is pretty good with the ZPD, so I think they'll even be covered. This is only for tonight. I promise."

He'd never needed Season Suppressants before, and the tod now found himself very thankful for that fact. The pills needed to be customized for each species of animal; as such, they weren't particularly inexpensive. Many attempts had been made in the legislature to subsidize Suppressants, but as of yet nothing substantial had been passed. The cost of the drugs (as well as the availability of them) often meant that the less-fortunate mammals would forgo them, leading to increased rates of crime, assault, and domestic violence, as well as higher birth rates in families that couldn't always afford more children.

"I'm still not sure why you want us to stop marking each other, then," responded Judy, a hint of longing making itself evident in her tone. "I know now that marking is usually more serious for foxes, but couldn't you look at it the way I do? It seems like a pretty easy solution to me, if resisting is so hard for you. I mean, I _want_ to mark you, Nick! I want the world to know I have dibs on you! Can't that be enough?"

Nick sighed, reaching over to his rabbit to gently rub her paw. "It _is_ enough, Carrots. And I don't want to rush you. But it's hard enough not smelling myself on you, or you on me; it would be even harder for me to smell our marks and know they don't really mean what I want them to. You wouldn't wear a wedding ring and start calling yourself my wife, would you?"

"No, but... but that's different, right?" Nick could feel Judy clench her paw underneath his, suddenly anxious. "My parents didn't do a good job of explaining it, but they told me it's different..."

" _Relax_ , Fluff." Nick moved to stroking her forearm, giving a reassuring chuckle. "No, being mates doesn't mean being spouses. At least, not for us foxes. It _is_ similar, though. But now that I think of it, I guess it's actually pretty difficult to explain, huh? It used to be that most foxes wouldn't have sex until they were mates, but over the years the line has relaxed considerably. It's blurrier. Hmmm..." – He scratched his chin. – "Here's a question for you: What would you say is the difference between getting engaged and getting married? Ignoring religious stuff, that is."

"That's easy!" Judy gave a pleased grin. "You're making a commitment to each other, but getting married is final! It's forever. It's a bigger deal."

"Right. But when you get engaged you're not sitting there expecting to change your mind, either," he countered. "You're agreeing to a future together. You might as well already be married."

Judy frowned. "I guess..."

Seeing that his rabbit was following his logic, the fox continued. "And marriage _isn't_ forever. Not these days, at least. Mammals get divorced all the time! So what's the real difference between the two, then? You're committing to each other either way. Deep down you know there _is_ a difference, but how would you explain it to somebody who didn't understand it?"

"I, uh..." Judy's eye's widened. "...Wow. Okay. I see what you mean!"

Nick nodded and sighed, a forlorn smile gracing his lips. "...Exactly."

There was an awkward, painful moment of silence as the rabbit before him took a few seconds to fully comprehend what it was he was trying to tell her, and then realization crashed down upon her whole body. She took a sharp breath, bringing her paws up to cover her mouth in surprise as her eyes became large and watery, her ears suddenly hugging her back. " _Cheese and crackers..._ Nick! I'm so sorry! I'm so so sorry! I can't believe I did that to you! I-"

"Ssshh." Nick took a digit of his paw and pressed it against her lips to quiet her. "It's okay, Judy. I've already said that it's okay. Yes, it hurts. But it's my fault as much as it is yours, okay? If I can finally leap into something without thinking things through, then I suppose I can let _you_ be the one to take your time for a change. And when you're ready? I'll... I'll be waiting for you, Judy."

 _Because you're worth waiting for,_ he mentally added for his own benefit. _Because I can't deny what I've already decided: You're my mate. You just haven't caught up with me, yet..._

"You dumb fox..." Judy sniffed as she brought the back of her wrist up to wipe her eyes, instantly sentimental from the moment they were having. "Look at what you do to me..."

"Oh, that's nothing compared to what _you_ do to m- _MNF!"_ The tod had been planning to end his sentence with the word "me", but instead found himself forcefully pulled into a passionate kiss. Small paws tugged his ears, his rabbit's tongue tracing his fangs as his own tongue fought to taste her. Nick grabbed her shoulders and held her in place, deepening the kiss with a groan of pleasure. This taste was _his_ to enjoy, her breath was _his_ to feel across his lips...

Nick gently pushed Judy back, separating their mouths with an audible wetness. His breath was heavy and controlled – a very conscious effort at controlling the warmth and need that was surging through his body with a fresh urgency; he was very near claiming her like he'd said he would. Nick tilted his chin to his chest and began to laugh at the absurdity of it all.

"Like I was _saying,_ " he chuckled wryly. "You're killing me, Carrots!"

 _But damn it all if it's not a good way to go..._


	11. There's No 'I' In 'Pregnant'

**Author's Note:** _Longest chapter yet? Longest chapter yet! Not much else to say about it, or much to respond to regarding last chapter. Thanks again (as always) to my ever-present readers and reviewers! We've reached 80 follows; I never thought I'd get anywhere NEAR triple digits, so this is quite humbling and flattering!_

 _To the random guest who suggested the idea of a dewlap: I thank you, and give you credit. I have now worked it in! And to Stubat, who commented on how much food is in the story... Mwahahaha! MOAR FOOD._

 ** _Sincerely,_**

 **-Wayward**

* * *

CHAPTER ELEVEN:

" _THERE'S NO 'I' IN 'PREGNANT'"_

* * *

A scent akin to charred juniper wood with underlying odors resembling fennel and allspice: Nick's distinct aroma. The pungent smell of the fox had initially overwhelmed the rabbit when they'd first met, but now Judy found it had become an acquired taste (much like the fox himself). It suited him. It was smoky, spicy, and appropriately overbearing! But there was a hidden sweetness to it, too. You just had to bother to dig deeper...

 _Mmmmm...!_ she hummed to herself as she let the warmth of consciousness begin to wake her from her slumber. _Fox musk! That's something I never thought I'd look forward to smelling in the morning!_

Nor had she ever expected it to invade her dreams, either. But here she was, snuggling into the bedding around her, trying _desperately_ to keep a mental hold on the deliciously raunchy dream she'd just had – a dream which had no doubt been inspired by the conversation of the previous night. Sadly, as was often the case with dreams, it was not to be. The memories of the dream drifted away, forcing Judy to seek out the real source of the scent when she remembered he wasn't nestled against her. The bunny languidly opened her eyes. In front of her, staring lovingly as she woke, were two orbs of emerald situated within the handsome face of her fox, his russet fur still mussed from sleep. The gaze penetrated deep into her heart; he'd clearly been watching her for some time now.

 _Awwww! I may just have to kiss him all morning long..._

...This, of course, was the exact type of moment Nick relished in ruining. His enamored smiled turned wide and toothy, a digit of his paw reaching out and gently bopping Judy on the nose. "Mornin', Upchuck!"

 _No...!_ The doe's eyes went wide with dismay as the new Nick-Name fully dawned on her waking brain. _Heavens, no! That's terrible! I'm never kissing that stupid fox ever again!_

A scowl quickly broke Judy's face. She flopped her body onto her other side, facing away from the offensive predator and crossing her arms. She felt him scoot closer to her.

"Oh, come on, Upchuck! Don't be like that!" The eager conceit in his voice revealed the satisfaction he had with his handiwork. " _You_ know you love me..."

Judy gave a playfully displeased huff. " _Do_ I know that? Right now... _No_. No I do _not_."

"Awww... Did the mean ol' fox hurt the bunny's sensitive wittle feewings?" She nodded as she felt him press up against her, the chuckle in his chest vibrating her back. "Well then... Maybe he should make it up to you."

Warm breath and fangs tenderly brushed against the fur of Judy's scalp as orange arms wrapped themselves around her front. The tod behind her clutched the rabbit in his arms, holding her still as he softly began to nibble and lick. Judy's eyes went wide for the briefest of moments, rolled upwards in pleasure, then slowly fluttered shut. He was grooming her.

 _I'm not going to forgive him! I'm not, I'm not, I'm- Oooohhh...!_

Nick's amorous ministrations shifted to the delicate bases of her ears, shooting pleasant tingles down her spine as he carefully worked his way around them in slow strokes. Before she could stop herself, Judy was rubbing her head up into the attention and breathing in her male's scent; she had to admit, he was rather good at this! It was then that she realized that her teeth were grinding.

 _...Shoot. So much for that._

She affectionately rubbed one of his large paws. "Has anyone ever told you that your tongue is a dangerous thing, Mr. Wilde?"

"Mm-hm...!" She could feel his lips take a moment to smile against her head before he continued.

"Has anyone ever told you that you are a mangy _jerk?_ "

He snorted. "Mm-hm."

"...And that I'm hopelessly in love with you, even though?"

"Mm- _hmmmm_..." Nick lifted her chin with a paw and gave her a fond smooch. "Now _shush_ , you. I'm working here."

Judy absentmindedly wondered at how Nick was resisting scent-marking her despite their current contact, but thought better than to interrupt the fox as he resumed doting on her. Perhaps he was in better control of himself now that he didn't have whiskey in his system? Or perhaps the grooming was helping him cope somehow? It didn't matter. All that mattered was how good he was making her feel, and that she didn't want him to stop. The bunny sighed. Nick's muzzle gradually worked its way down, tidying the fur on her cheeks and chin before eventually coming to the front of her neck. Just as she shivered from anticipating the inevitable contact, he unfortunately stopped.

"What do we got goin' on _here,_ hm?" Nick curiously tickled her neck with a claw, causing her to giggle. "That's not a normal part of your winter coat, if I recall correctly..."

Judy brought a paw up to feel under her chin, discovering an extra flap of skin beginning to form. How had she not noticed that growing before? Her eyebrows furrowed as she thought. "I think... I think that's the start of my dewlap!"

Nick raised an eyebrow and cocked his head toward her.

"It's this _thing_ we does get," she explained for him. "It used to be a permanent deal for our ancestors, but it's beginning to disappear from rabbits since we don't need them anymore. Apparently it used to prepare us for nesting somehow."

Judy's ears heard her fox swallow and his heart race as she felt his body fill with tension. A second later he'd unwrapped himself from her and was lying on the other side of the bed.

She sat up. She was not only disappointed to have her grooming cut short, but was also a little offended by his actions! It made her self-conscious. "Hey! It's normal! It may be a little weird, but it's not gross!"

"I never said it _was,_ Fluff," he reassured her, also sitting up. "If anything, I find it incredibly sexy!"

"My _dewlap_... is _sexy_." Judy emphasized each word with an incredulous tone. She had a hard time believing her fox. (After all, he was notorious for saying just the right things to get himself out of trouble!)

"Madam, you're a rabbit who can take down a rhino! I'd _never_ give you a compliment to avoid confrontation!" Nick raised a paw to his chest in indignation as he talked, then slipped into a grin as he rested his head against the wall. "But seriously. You're turning into a mother. That's pretty hot."

"Well in _that_ case..." Judy smirked, seductively crawling across the bed as she raised her chin to reveal her neck. _Time to get a little revenge!_

"Are... are you _trying_ to frustrate me now? Is that what this is? I guess that's fair..." Nick quickly flinched as she finished closing the distance. "You _are_ kneeling on my tail, though. Off! Off off off off!"

"Oh! Sorry!"

Nick pouted and seized his tail, cradling it. He gently began rocking and stroking the abused appendage. "It's okay, little guy... Don't cry! Daddy's got you! There, there... I'm gonna' make it aallll better..."

 _Oh, please..._ Judy rolled her eyes.

"Doesn't hurt to _practice_ , you know." The fox tilted his chin up in defiance.

"Yeah, but aren't you still mad at your tail? It's a traitor, remember?"

Nick shook his head. "It's a love-hate relationship, Upchuck. You wouldn't understand."

Judy directed a pointed, sarcastic grin at her fox. "Don't be so sure about that, Slick. I think I'd understand _juuuuuust fine!"_

"...Ouch. You wound me. Deeply."

"You'll live." Judy stretched her arms above her head and expelled a long yawn, preparing to get out of bed. "Okay. Enough fooling around. We need to get ready for work!"

Donning loose t-shirts, the pair of animals slowly made their way into their apartment's kitchen, Nick thankfully having remembered to duck beneath the overhanging tree root in the hallway. (As much as they loved the apartment, they were steadily discovering the quirks with it; some quirks could be more painful than others.) Judy opened the refrigerator and poured herself a glass of carrot juice, watching with amusement as her fox followed his now-predictable routine: Staring out the window, seeing the typical rain-forest downpour, and making an ugly face of disgust.

 _Hope springeth eternal,_ she mused as she took her first sip of her morning beverage. The doe's face immediately imploded in on itself as the liquid hit her tongue. It was nasty! Positively _nasty!_ Her body rushed of its own accord to spit out the revolting substance, barely making it to the sink before doing so.

Nick – having caught the tail end of his bunny's mad dash – raised an eyebrow. "Everything okay, Carrots?"

"Ugh! Bleh!" Judy poured her juice down the drain and rinsed the glass, filling it with water to wash her mouth out. "The carrot juice has gone bad!"

"That can't be right..." Eyebrows furrowed and tail flicking, Nick scrunched his lips in skeptical bafflement as he reached into the fridge to look at the juice for himself. Judy watched as he turned the jug in his paws to search for the expiration date. He paused. "Just as I thought: We bought this last week!"

"But it's awful! Taste it!" Judy raised her paws toward the jug and waited, sitting down. The tod gave her doubtful look, shrugged, and took a sip straight from the container.

"It tastes like carrots," he confirmed, then smirked as he wiggled his eyebrows at her. "But not the kind I prefer!"

Judy groaned, unable to prevent the slightest tint of pink from filling her ears. "Stop messing with me, Nick! Come on... That doesn't taste bad to you?"

The male raised three digits of his paw. "Scout's honor, Fluff! I don't know what your problem is, but I-" His green eyes shifted left and right as though sorting through information, his pointed ears rising straight up in a light-bulb moment. "-Hold on. One sec!"

Nick bent down to rummage through the fridge (supplying the doe with a rather pleasant view of his toned haunches) and came to surface holding a bag of baby carrots. Judy tilted her head with a quizzical look. Surely this couldn't have any connection to the juice, could it? Regardless, she decided to humor her fox, taking the carrot he offered her and popping it in her mouth.

 _What in the world...!?_

Her ears went rigid. There it was again: That horrible flavor. She immediately spat the carrot out, grabbing her glass and taking a generous swig of her water. The bunny looked up at her fox, stunned.

"There were carrots in the stir fry," he helpfully pointed out, an evil delight entering his voice. "So I think it's now safe to assume that if Carrots eats carrots, then Upchuck will upchuck!"

 _No...! Oh no...!_

That was it.

It was final.

The nickname was here to stay.

Judy glared at her stomach, betrayed. Her daughter wasn't even born yet and already she was conspiring against her! A chuckle came from across the kitchen.

"It would seem I'm not the only one with a traitor in their midst," teased the fox.

Judy slumped against the back of her chair, defeated. The doctor had warned them that their daughter would likely have different nutritional requirements than she herself had – in fact, it had been his greatest concern (any potential size issues being less of a threat because bunnies usually carried multiple kits) – but everyone had assumed Judy would have a hard time ingesting what her daughter needed. Now, it seemed, the tables had been turned; the rabbit made a mental note to pick up even more vitamins than were originally planned just in case this continued to be an issue. She looked down at her stomach.

 _You just had to be a pain in my tail, didn't you?_

A mouth-watering smell coerced Judy out of her frustrated wallowing, her nose wiggling as she noticed her fox cooking something on the stove. "Mmmm... What _is_ that?"

"What is _what?_ My turkey-sausage? I thought you didn't like the smell of this stuff." Nick rolled the sausage in the pan, a pleasant sizzling sound accompanying the motion.

"I don't," she unconvincingly stated, letting her nose drag her out of her seat and over to the side of her fox. She took a deep breath. "Or at least, I _didn't_. Wow... Is this what it always smells like to you?"

"I guess?" Nick blinked, then gave a genuine grin as he reached into the cupboard and grabbed a small plate. He deftly slid the spatula under a roll of sausage and transferred it to the plate. "Here! Give it a try!"

Judy gave the meat a suspicious glance. She wasn't really going to eat it, was she?

...Yes.

Yes she was.

The doe took the meat in her paw and brought it to her mouth, nibbling on the end. Her eyes closed shut as the taste hit her tongue. This was incredible! The spice... the _texture!_ How had she never liked this before? She suddenly felt very jealous of her fox, feeling as though he'd somehow kept the sausage from her. Judy shoved more of the meat into her mouth and moaned with pleasure, savoring it. She was in heaven.

...Nick, on the other paw, seemed to be in agony. The fox's breathing became thick and heavy as his scent suddenly spiked. "I'm going to have to ask you to take two steps back, Judy. I'm not on Suppressants yet, and you are being, uh... _arousing_."

Judy said nothing (too preoccupied with her sausage) but did what she was told.

"Thank you," he sighed with relief. The tod opened the freezer to get more frozen sausages. "Now you just sit tight. I'll whip something up for us."

After grabbing various ingredients and pawing them to Judy for her to sniff, Nick began to get to work on their breakfast, coming up with an odd (but appealing) mixture of sausage, potatoes, select vegetables, garlic, cheese, and spices. Seeing her fox work made Judy all the more attracted to him; he really was thoughtful.

And sweet.

And funny.

And gorgeously handsome.

 _Heaven forbid I tell him any of that, though! His ego would burst!_

There was a thought that gnawed at the back of her mind, however: Why couldn't she commit to being his mate? Was she afraid? He'd been understanding with her – more understanding than she'd thought she'd deserved – and yet she couldn't even pinpoint what it was that was making her hesitate! He was perfect for her! (And she was having his child, for crying out loud!) So why on earth was she being such a dumb, dumb bunny? There was, of course, a deep part of her that understood her problem and simply refused to share its knowledge with her; had it felt more generous it might've reminded her that she was a perfectionist. (She _was_ a valedictorian of the academy, after all. And she _did_ give herself parking tickets when she didn't need to.) To agree to such a big thing in her life as being his mate... The moment couldn't be random or rushed. It had to be _perfect_.

Judy finished what was left of her sausage link, resting her cheek on her paw as she watched Nick stir the concoction in the pan. Her eyes traced the sharp features of his predatory face, a stray thought making its way to her mouth. "Why do you trim your whiskers?"

"Hm?" Nick tilted his head, coming out of whatever thoughts he was having.

"Your whiskers. Why do you trim them? You should let them grow out!"

The pan sizzled as Nick stirred. "You really think I should?"

"Definitely!" Judy clapped her paws together with excitement, thrilled that he was entertaining the idea.

"Well then..." The fox took a moment to strike a pose against the counter-top, raising a paw to stroke the nonexistent whiskers in the air beside his snout. He wore a sly smile and spoke in a distinguished accent. " _Anything_ for _you_ , darling."

The squeal of delight that came out of Judy's throat was so high-pitched it was practically inaudible; she would've done Clawhauser proud. "Do it! Do it! Do it!"

"Okay, okay! Settle down, Fluff, or you might make me change my mind." Nick's tone revealed no hint of sincerity to the threat; his grin was playful. "Now I hope you're hungry, because I made a lot."

The thought of vulpine whiskers was quickly abandoned as the impending reality of food took over Judy's instincts. She was suddenly ravenous – hungry like she felt she'd never been before. Nick had hardly finished dishing out their breakfast before the rabbit was digging into her meal, fork in paw, temporarily forgetting about anything bearing even the slightest resemblance to manners. The breakfast was exquisite! She groaned, each mouthful serving to quench her stomach's cravings...

Tittering came from across the table. Nick smiled, making a point of raising his fork to his mouth in a dignified fashion. "Well, that's promising! I suppose we're going to have to remember to keep extra food in the house now that you're pregnant."

 _...That dumb fox._

" _We_ ," she corrected, her mood beginning to swing.

"...Huh?"

"Now that _we_ are pregnant." Judy's face became serious. Her voice raised. "For the _last time_ , Nick: This isn't some burden you've put upon me... some _favor_ I'm doing for you! You got that? _We_ are pregnant. Not just me. _We._ This... our _daughter?_ She's both of us, Nick. So you can just quit it with whatever stupid distance you've convinced yourself on having! We're in this _together_ , fox. Now shut up and finish your breakfast."

Silence followed the outburst, the clicking of silverware against plates serving as the only sound within the emptiness between them. Judy slowed her chewing and sighed. She'd meant every word, but she'd even surprised _herself_ with how intense she had been! Relaxing her ears, she looked up at her fox; Nick was staring at her with a peculiar heat in his eyes...

"...Did you know that you're _sexy_ when you're angry?"

 _Suppressants,_ she laughed as she rolled her eyes. _We need to get that poor fox some Suppressants!_

* * *

Chief Bogo sighed, clutching the bridge of his nose with his hoof. A never-ending, high-pitched squeal could be heard all throughout the precinct and it was beginning to dig straight into his eye sockets. He was losing his sanity. The sound should've stopped by now.

 _Please,_ he begged to the gods. _Please! Make it stop!_

But it didn't stop. It would _never_ stop. Having had enough, his hoof slammed a button on his office phone, the cheap plastic of the device gaining yet another crack from the force of the impact. "Clawhauser! _Shut_ it!"

The brain-piercing squeal halted as the portly cheetah's voice came through the speaker on the phone. "Right. Sorry, sir!"

Silence filled the precinct at last.

 _Ahhhh..._ the cape buffalo blissfully relaxed, enjoying the newfound tranquility. _Peace and-_

...The squeal.

...The never-ending _squeal_.

...It was _back_.

"CLAWHAUSER!"

It was right then – while rage and agony seethed within the face of the hulking creature – that his office door opened, revealing two of his best officers (albeit two of his most aggravating ones). In their paws appeared to be some sort of paperwork.

Nick held his paws up in self-defense and began taking steps backward out of the room. "Now I can tell you're uh, a little _tense_ , so maybe this should wait until-"

"-SIT. DOWN." Bogo stood tall, towering over his officers as he pointed to the chair in front of his desk.

Nick gulped. "Right... _Yes_ , sir. And has anybody ever told you what a _kind_ and _gentle_ mammal you are, sir?"

Judy put her face in her paws and groaned. The two partners proceeded to clamor onto the chair and share the space. Bogo eased himself back down into his own chair, not knowing how menacing he had somehow managed to make the motion look. Taking a few deep breaths, he calmed himself before speaking. "Officer Hopps... Would you care to enlighten me as to _why_ our dispatcher is blessing us all with this-" He rolled a hoof in the air as though he could touch the sound. "-disturbance? I _am_ assuming that the pair of you are responsible for this somehow."

" _Well_ , sir," started the small bunny cop, nervously chuckling in a failed attempt to ease the tension. "It all started when I asked Benjamin – I mean, Officer _Clawhauser_ – for some forms I needed to fill out, and-"

"-The _short_ version, Hopps," he gruffly interrupted, his patience being tested. " _Please._ "

Judy awkwardly coughed into a fist, cleared her throat, and offered the buffalo the paperwork in her paws. Her ears were slightly tinted, embarrassed. "Chief Bogo, sir? I'd like to request maternity leave!"

 _Well strip my hide and hang it to dry,_ he thought as his eyes went wide from the news. _No wonder Clawhauser can't shut up!_

Bogo's cough was just as awkward, the buffalo having to force an appearance of professionalism across his features. He put his glasses on as he took the paperwork from her. "Of course, Hopps. Consider it approved. Oh... and, uh... Congratulations."

Nick failed at holding back a laugh and turned to his partner. "What did I say, Fluff? Bogo-Stick here needs his own line of cards! 'Are you having a baby? _Oh.._ _Uh... Congratulations._ '"

"Shut your mouth, Wilde!" Chief Bogo raised an eyebrow, daring him to continue. The fox gave a lazy grin but didn't speak another word.

 _A small blessing, but I'll take it._

Opening a drawer of one of his metal filing cabinets, Bogo procured a heavy binder and dropped it onto the desk with a dull thud. Inside the binder were pages upon pages of charts designating the government-mandated allotments of maternity leave for each species of mammal, taking into account their gestation periods, average litter sizes, readiness of their newborn upon birth, and other essential factors. His hooves opened the binder and began flipping through the pages. "Have any hare in you, Hopps?"

"Distantly," affirmed Judy. "Mother's side. A few generations back."

Bogo grunted in acknowledgment and turned another page, coming to the information he was searching for. He pushed his glasses further up his face in astonishment. Was he reading that right? That allotment seemed fairly _small..._ His eyebrows raised, impressed.

"You bunnies work _fast!_ " The words slipped out of his mouth before he could catch them, his break in his professionalism shaming him. He cleared his throat and attempted to continue as though nothing had happened. "I'm glad to see the precinct won't be lacking your presence for very long, Hopps. We need good officers out in the field."

Judy grinned ear to ear at the compliment. A soft cough came from the fox next to her to grab Bogo's attention. "Well... You might want to look up the allotment for foxes, sir."

The buffalo huffed, then smirked. "I know Hopps is the one with the balls, Wilde, but you're not getting off of work that easily."

It was at this point in the conversation that Judy completely lost it.

 _Dammit... I really need a vacation,_ he mentally whined, mortified by the ease at which he'd stooped to the fox's level. _He's beginning to rub off on me..._

Said fox was full of mirth, now, clearly having registered his success. "Oh, _no sir_ , Mr. Bogo-Stick sir! It hurts my very _soul_ to hear you insinuate that I'd _ever_ wish to leave your heartwarming presence! In fact, I tell my partner every day that if it weren't for her, I might never leave your side! But I don't ask for _me_ , sir. I ask for our poor, _innocent_ -"

"-Nothing involving you is innocent, Wilde," he interrupted.

" _As_ I was _saying_ ," the small canid glared before resuming his performance, gesturing toward Judy's stomach. "I ask for the benefit of our sweet, vulnerable, _unborn child._ We just don't know who she's going to take after!"

Bogo was about to chalk the whole thing up to Nick pulling more of his melodramatic antics, but then Judy beat him to the response when she turned toward her partner and chastised him. "Nick! Quit it! He's never going to look it up if you act like that! Do you _want_ him not to consider it?"

The sincerity of the doe's reaction sent his head spinning. The way she'd said that... Why was _she_ acting like he should consider it? It's not like a fox could impregnate a _rabbit!_ Bogo watched as Nick's smug smile deepened to a whole new level.

"Three words, Bogo-Stick." Nick seemed to savor every second with which he was getting to rip his boss's sense of reality apart. "First. Hybrid. Pregnancy."

The buffalo's breath caught in his throat as he saw the confirmation flash across Judy's face. He struggled to form words – to _think._ Finally, after a good long while of turning his head back and forth between the two in disbelief, Bogo settled on a reaction: He slammed his head into his desk with a loud groan.

"Ugh..."

… _It would have to be these two, wouldn't it?_


	12. Savage City

**IMPORTANT Author's Note:** _I have now begun my coursework in 3D Animation (which is very exciting for me)! What this means is that I'm likely going to have a lot less time to work on this story, or at least have less regular opportunities. Consequently, new chapters may take longer to post and/or be more sporadic in their update schedule. There's not much I can do about this, but I will do what I can. In the event that there is a long gap without any updates, please know that I will not abandon this story. If you want to check in with me, feel free to send me a PM!_

 _As an added note about the time-skips: I know their inclusion is slightly controversial. Some really like it, and... some really don't. (I've certainly lost readers because of it.) It's a bizarre concept to be sure, but I've always had a detailed plan for it and I want to see it through. Might it fall flat on its face? Perhaps! But it might also turn out to be awesome and unique! We'll have to see, won't we? You never know if you never try. I will consider releasing a "skip-less" rewrite if it turns out the concept isn't as good as I'd hoped._

 _Finally, I'm thrilled you all loved last chapter! I felt we sincerely needed some humor before continuing with any drama or timeline shenanigans. I thank all of you for your continued support and for your comments. The praise and the critique have both been incredibly helpful. You have already helped me make some important changes to my writing and to some of my plans, and the story is all the better for it._

 ** _Sincerely,_**

 **-Wayward**

* * *

CHAPTER TWELVE:

" _SAVAGE CITY"_

* * *

 _[I'm going to be a little late. Something's come up at work. No need to cancel – I'll fill you in when I arrive. Save my seat for me.]_

Angel quickly responded to her coworker's text before pocketing her phone, inching a little forward as the line of mammals entering the theater slowly advanced. A simple white blouse and a custom-tailored pant suit adorned her fidgeting body, her vulpine tail swaying in the warm evening air as her foot lightly thumped against the concrete. She tugged on her lower lip with her long rabbit teeth. Patience was hardly her strongest suit.

 _You're here to relax, Angelica,_ she reminded herself, not realizing she was imagining Jack's voice saying the words. _You are not part shark. Staying still isn't going to kill you._

Oh. But it _would_.

The lapine vixen's eyes began searching her surroundings for something to amuse her, her gaze coming to rest upon the melodramatic poster for the performance she was about to attend. In the middle of the picture was a silhouette of a jackrabbit with glowing blue eyes, his paws in chains and his clothes in tatters. Behind the striking image of the creature were mounds of playing cards which had been set ablaze, the flames from which served to illuminate the words across the top of the poster: "The Mysterious Jack Savage!"

More amusing to Angel, however, was the hashtag at the bottom of the poster: "#releasethebeast". She quickly snapped a picture of it with her phone and sent it to Jack with a caption, teasing him. _[Wow, Tiger! Didn't take you for an exhibitionist. Just get yourself a vixen and 'release the beast' in private, okay? For everyone's sake.]_

Angel's amber eyes held a mischievous glint as she waited to see if he would respond. She could picture him now, flustered, the red tint of embarrassment easily identifiable through his white fur. The buck was simply too easy to tease – an endless supply of entertainment. Sure enough, her phone pinged and vibrated as a response came in.

 _[...You're incorrigible, Ms. Wilde.]_

Angel's pointed ears shot straight up with glee as she saw her opening for further provocation, her friend having neglected to defend himself against her "vixen" insinuation. The digits of her paws began tapping the screen in a mad dash to respond, her tongue poking out of the corner of her mouth in concentration. Now she'd _really_ give him something to be embarrassed about...!

Sadly, before she could finish her message, her phone pinged again. _[And for the last time, I'm not into vixens!]_

 _[Uh huh. Sure,]_ she sent back, adding in an animated emoji of a sloth rolling its eyes for good measure. _[Just keep telling yourself that, Jack. Maybe it'll help when we continue this conversation after your show.]_

There was a brief pause. _[Oh joy.]_

Angel chuckled and put her phone away, the distraction having lasted just long enough to land her at the front of the line. She looked up. Outfitted with a sharp red uniform, a tiny usher was situated upon a contraption which allowed him to scurry to the varying heights of the incoming guests and collect their tickets. The creature looked to be in his teens (this was likely his summer job) and his appearance was that of a small, white, fuzzy elephant with the paws and tail of a mouse. The little hybrid extended his paw in anticipation for her ticket. After receiving the item from her, he tore off her stub and pawed it back. "Thank you, ma'am. Enjoy the show!"

Angel took half a second to watch the usher rush up the contraption and reach the height of the giraffe behind her, then she headed into the theater shaking her head with a mixture of fascination and amusement. She'd grown up as one of the first hybrid animals; mixed mammals used to be a much rarer occurrence. Any pairing of animals had formerly needed to be fairly close in size for the treatment to work, and even _then_ the chances that a child would form had been slim! But a _mouse_ and an _elephant?_ It just went to show how advanced the science behind it all had become. This was the _new_ Zootopia: Anyone could breed with anything.

 _You wanna' mate an elephant when you grow up?_ she mused. _You mate an elephant!_

It was not her place to judge. Still, Angel found the image of the pairing to be quite an awkward one... How had they even _accomplished_ that? It didn't matter which animal was which gender – she felt sorry for the pair regardless (albeit for very different reasons depending on the scenario)!

 _I suppose that's where one needs to get a little creative..._

Angel shook her head to clear her thoughts; she was not a prude by any sense of the word, but this was _not_ the right place to be picturing other mammals' bedroom escapades! Giving no more thought to the matter, the vixen made her way onto the ground floor of the theater hall and weaved her way toward the appropriately-sized seats. The seating of the theater was arranged in a sort of "U" shape, the larger seats being placed further back and further to the sides so that the smaller mammals' views weren't blocked by them (yet not limiting larger animals to just the back rows). Finding a set of seats she liked, Angel paused to take off her suit jacket before sitting down, draping the jacket over the seat beside her to lay claim to it. Her eye caught a dim flash of green light reflecting from inside of the jacket where there was an emerald-colored "WS" embroidered upon the collar. She let a paw brush over the fancy letters and smiled. At that moment a warm voice came from her other side.

"Hey there, Little Tail!"

The little vixen's ears perked up immediately as she stood up out of her seat to hug the old fox, her tail subtly wagging with fondness. "Hey there, Big Tail! Glad you could make it."

"Well, of course! Gotta' make sure my little protégé isn't getting sloppy. I expect a good show outta' ol' Spork tonight." Nick was wearing a pinstripe suit (sans tie) and, as always, one of his many scarves; this time he'd opted for his dark blue one. He gave his daughter's back a paternal pat and chuckled. "Oh, and I suppose it's good to see _you,_ too."

"Har, har." Angel rolled her eyes as she tried to end the embrace, finding her shoulders firmly held by her father's larger paws. There was a brief moment of confusion in her expression until her body tensed with a sudden understanding of what the tod was planning.

...She _couldn't_ let him do that! Not in _public!_

Angel tried to squirm out of his grasp, but it was too late. "Dad! No! Wait...! Don't you _dare_ -"

"- _Come_ here, you little rascal...!" Nick shifted one of his paws behind Angel's ears to prevent their escape, leaning his snout between them at the just the right angle for his long whiskers to tickle their sensitive insides. He began to wiggle his muzzle, sending excruciating sensations through his protesting kit's nerves. She broke.

"Gah! Stop! I hate you! I hate you so much!" Angel swatted at him until he finally knocked it off, laughing. She twitched before beginning to scratch herself all over. "Now you've made me all itchy! Geez! Can't I take you _anywhere_ without you embarrassing me?"

"Sorry. No can do, kiddo," he insincerely apologized, the slightly-grayed fur of his face shaping into feigned displeasure from the admission. He clicked his tongue. "Part of the Father's Contract, I'm afraid. Right beneath the section about bad jokes. They make all fathers sign it before entrusting them with a baby. My paws are tied!"

Angel huffed, sitting back down with her arms crossed. Her father tittered while he sat in an empty seat beside her, rubbing his shoulder with a wince before looking at her with a pleased, ornery smirk – ears slightly tilted back, eyes half-lidded, and eyebrow raised. His hybrid kit's disgruntlement didn't last for long, however. After all, how could it? Nick was the one who had _taught_ her the sacred craft of pestering others! She couldn't help but respect the master at work.

 _I'll just have to get him back at a later date,_ she inwardly schemed. Adding that task to her mental "to-do" list, Angel sighed and changed topics, returning to a previous detail in the conversation. "He won't let me call him that, by the way. 'Spork', I mean."

"No?" Nick raised his paw to his chin.

"No," she confirmed. "I think only _you_ can get away with that one."

Her father chuckled, pleased with himself. He'd been the one to give her friend that particular nickname; Jack had the rounded ears and tail of a hare, but his fangs and stripes were pointy. After having a second to think, the tod's eyebrows suddenly furrowed with a sincere worry. He looked straight at his daughter. "Wait a second... What _do_ you call him, then? Don't tell me you use his _real_ name!"

Angel laughed in response to the level of Nick's concern. " _Hell_ no! Give me some credit, Dad! _Please._ That would be sacrilege. _For your_ _information_ , I call him 'Tiger'. It's endearing enough that he begrudgingly accepts it, but it's still a little crude and it's _obnoxiously_ obvious."

Nick's teeth formed a devilish smile. He ruffled the fur on top of Angel's head in approval. "Atta' _girl_ , Floof! You've learned well! Always see that you get to them."

Angel giggled, boxed her dad on the shoulder, then gave a conspiratorial grin. " _Always_."

* * *

Jack eyed the clock: It was almost time for the show to begin. His left ear swiveled backward a bit as he heard Martin (his assistant) knock on the door to the dressing room. "Come on in, Mr. Daemon! I'm decent."

The hybrid jackrabbit kept his eyes on the mirror before him while the pine marten popped his head through the doorway behind him. The slim creature gave his standard enthusiastic salute to his own reflection in the mirror, then turned his eyes back to Jack with a large grin. "Just making sure you're all ready, Jack! Want me to start the music?"

Giving one last dab of stage dye to his fur, Jack finally turned around to face Martin. "If you would, please. Let's go with 'Eye of the Tiger' before the intro this time. That always seems to be a crowd-pleaser."

Martin snorted and nodded, then ducked back out of the room.

Reaching for a nearby coat-hanger, Jack grabbed the last piece to his outfit: A tailcoat suit intentionally designed to look torn and frayed. The article of clothing held many secret compartments for various gadgets and materials, making him feel a bit like a secret agent from an action movie whenever he performed. It was a feeling he enjoyed greatly. Every detail of the suit had been meticulously designed and crafted to meet his unique specifications. Shining inside the collar was a green "WS", marking the coat as a commissioned product from "Wilde's Suitopia".

 _Mr. Wilde really outdid himself with this one,_ he mentally remarked as he put it on, recalling how he'd worked with the fox to come up with a pawful of ingenious additions to the suit. _Truly impeccable! I'll need to thank him later._

In fact, the buck owed the tod thanks for more than just the coat: He owed Nick thanks for his _profession!_ Ever since he and Angel were kits, Jack had been absolutely enthralled by the fox's former con tricks. There had been a sneaky flare and elegance to them that he'd simply found _captivating!_ From card tricks, to mind games, to slight-of-paw... Jack had soaked up all the knowledge he could from his best friend's father (much to the dismay of his own). Not wanting to live a life of questionable ethics, the hybrid hare's enthusiasm for misdirection had naturally led him into the field of magic.

 _And now here I am, performing for the largest audience I've ever had._

Jack steeled his nerves, straightening his posture in front of the mirror one last time. A Savage was always calm, always collected, and always courteous. A Savage held himself with _dignity_. It was his father's motto, and the one he chose to live by as well. It was a code of conduct:

 _Manners maketh mammal._

Giving himself a nod for confidence, the feline buck made his way out of the dressing room and beneath the stage, checking his gadgets and props one last time before standing on the little elevator which would raise him out of a giant hat and into view. He could hear the music above him begin to swell, Martin's voice dramatically announcing Jack's impending appearance to the crowd.

"...Those of you with weak hearts, I beg of you to turn away now!" Jack could picture the pine marten pacing and weaving in the spotlight, the fog machines blanketing the stage with a mysterious mist. "For what you'll witness tonight will not fall within the realm of the sane. No... Only a _madmammal_ would attempt these feats! A mammal at war with his very _soul_ : Half predator, and half prey! _Marvel_ as this refined animal bends the laws of reality to his whim! _Cower_ as the beast within him narrowly escapes the jaws of death! _Wonder_ at the beauty and the terror before you – the likes of which you've never seen!"

Jack's platform jiggled, slowly beginning to rise.

"Yes! Prepare yourselves! For those of you who are daring – those of you with minds open to the bizarre – tonight will be a breathtaking journey into the impossible and the macabre! A true test of the instincts that reside within us all! So without further ado, it is my pleasure to present to you: The gentlemammal, the beast, the _legend_... _!"_

Jack struck an enigmatic pose as he came into view, the spotlights converging onto his position while the sparkling pyrotechnics shot up out of the stage.

"...JACK SAVAGE!"

* * *

"Jack. Jack _Savage_. Time to wake up, sleepyhead." Special Agent Valerie Skye poked her partner on the shoulder, watching with cyan eyes as the unique hybrid yawned himself out of slumber and revealed his sharp fangs. The buck realized what he'd done only a moment later, quickly snapping his mouth shut with embarrassment. Valerie sat back against the wall of the Kingdom helicopter and gave a derisive snort. " _Cute._ "

"You're not supposed to call a hare 'cute', Ms. Skye." Jack rubbed the back of a paw across his eyes as he continued to wake.

"You're only half hare," she reminded him. "So that's only half true. Regardless, I hope you slept well."

Her partner nodded in affirmation, idly reaching to check his sidearm out of habit. "Dreamt I was some sort of... _magician_ , I think? It was nice. Had my own assistant."

The arctic fox smirked and checked her own sidearm, figuring it was probably a smart thing to get out of the way. "So I played the role of the pretty assistant, huh? Should I be flattered, or insulted?"

"You weren't there, actually," he shrugged, releasing and checking the magazine before clicking it back into place. "No offense."

Her ears flicked backward. "Mm-hm. Of course."

Valerie quickly brought herself to her feet and turned her back to Jack, covering up her unexpected irritation by rummaging through the supplies at the rear end of the helicopter. It didn't make sense to her; she'd actually been _bothered_ by Jack's statement! It had triggered a small flash of emotion within her, and Valerie viewed emotion as weakness.

 _Why should it matter?_ she argued to herself. _It was just a stupid dream. Jack is supposed to be the sentimental one, not me!_

That last bit was true: Despite his unusually high standards of etiquette, Jack was not averse to emotions. If anything, he was a bit of a performer! He was the kind to calmly walk away from an explosion like a badass, and the kind who would take the time to charm and soothe any hostages being rescued. He was a gentlemammal and a showmammal.

Valerie, on the other paw, was cold and efficient. Why bother looking like a badass when you could accomplish the mission with less spectacle? Why make friends with any bystanders when it didn't matter whether or not they liked you? She was a vixen focused on results rather than reputation. Anything else was needlessly indulgent.

 _Get in. Get out. Move on._

Still, the pair worked quite well together. They both were strategic and methodical in their efforts, and Jack's knack for the dramatic often served as an effective form of misdirection and control. While Jack took center stage, Valerie could work relatively unnoticed; while Jack earned the trust of any innocent civilians, she could work on securing their safety. The way they were naturally able to play off of each other was ridiculously efficient out in the field, and the arctic fox cherished their partnership because of it.

 _It's a bit like a magician and an assistant working together to fool an audience,_ she reluctantly realized. _That's disgustingly uncanny._

She would _never_ have chosen a different life – their work in Kingdom was far too important – but she knew that her partner's paw had been forced as a child. An orphan did not have many options under the _best_ of circumstances, but add on being the target of a powerful mob boss? Even fewer. The secret service had understood Jack's unique potential as a hybrid, faking his death and keeping his existence hidden in exchange for him becoming a Kingdom agent. Jack – the one and only mammal Valerie had ever come to completely trust over the years – might have chosen a different life if he'd been given the chance.

...And when he had dreamed of that life? She hadn't been in it.

Valerie sighed to collect herself while she reached into the box which contained their assorted rations, procuring two protein-rich bars of... _stuff_. Frankly she didn't know _what_ they were, but both she and Jack agreed that they tasted better than the alternative options. The vixen made her way back to the buck and dropped one of the bars in his lap. "... _Here._ "

"Ah. The good stuff." Twiddling the bar between his paws, Jack raised an eyebrow, dubious. "Everything alright, Ms. Skye?"

" _Peachy."_ Tearing the packaging open, she began to gnaw on the rigid substance.

Jack hesitated, then shrugged. The two ate in silence. Once finished, Jack got right down to business. "I'm assuming a quarantine zone has been set up?

She nodded. "Bunnyburrow. It appears to be unaffected for the time being, perhaps due to its distance from the city. If we find any coherent survivors we are to direct them there. Survivors are _not_ our priority, however."

Jack frowned, noticing how she'd added that last bit for his benefit. "...Duly noted. How is this thing spreading? Contact? _Blood...?"_

"Worse. It's in the _air_ , Jack." The vixen paused to let the implications sink in before confirming them. "Most mammals have already gone savage. Naturally I will be wearing a mask to protect myself from the effects."

"I don't like it," he slowly stated, bringing a paw to his chin. "Seems like an unnecessary risk. I should go it alone."

This suggestion, as rational as it was, went completely against Valerie's instincts. She growled. " _No._ "

"Wait, _what?_ What do you _mean_ , 'no'?" Jack became uncharacteristically emotive, taken aback by his partner's display. He only grew more so when she refused to answer him. "Ms. Skye...! _I'm_ immune to it! _You_ aren't! Tell me _one_ good reason why you should take that risk!"

"Jack, I..."

 _...I can't lose you._

That was the real reason, and the one she wouldn't say. Valerie closed her eyes and exhaled, the tip of her tail whipping with agitation. He was right, after all. Night Howlers had been the catalyst for his birth; somehow that had made him immune to their effects. Valerie rubbed the bridge of her snout, collected herself, and settled upon a half-truth.

"Zootopia can't lose you," she explained. "You said it yourself: You're immune. That means you're the best chance we have at stopping this. I'm not about to let you go out there without backup. Just... _no_."

"Skye, I..." It was Jack's turn for silence, his ears drooping behind his head as his harsh blue eyes searched the ground for an answer. There was a long pause, the only noise being the thrum of the helicopter in flight. Eventually the creature before her resigned himself and closed his eyes. His voice was crestfallen. "...Where are we landing?"

Valerie blinked and swallowed, unable to look at the sad state of the buck across from her as she wrestled her own emotions into submission. "...Tundratown."

"...Not Savanna Central?"

"That..." She brushed a paw across her ears. "That's already been tried. Whoever's behind this seems to be holed up there, watching. HQ has lost contact with the previous teams. We're to try a stealthier approach – try to catch them off guard. With nobody to maintain them the climate walls have begun to fail. Tundratown is currently flooding."

Jack's ears perked back up as he began to follow the logic, his attention returning to the mission at paw. "...And not many mammals can naturally swim!"

" _Bingo_. We'll run into fewer savage animals, and I doubt anyone will expect us to come in from there. There's a clearing in Taiga Park which is high enough that it shouldn't be flooded; we can land there. We'll swim through the subway starting at Northern Lights Station."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Our destination?"

Valerie grit her teeth. "You're not going to like it..."

"I don't like _any_ of this, Ms. Skye," he chuckled, attempting to lighten the mood. "So where are we headed?"

Valerie's cyan eyes met his sapphire ones. "...The 'Savage Furmaceuticals' building."

The feline buck's eyes went wide, his ears springing straight up in shock. There were a few beats of silence as Jack's face processed the information. Then, contrary to what Valerie had been expecting, he doubled over with laughter.

"You're _right_ , Skye," he barely managed to say through his surprising outburst. "I _don't_ like it!"


	13. A Warm Welcome

**Author's Note:** _Bleh!_ _Slightly more than a month! I know I said my classes would slow me down, but I have to tell you that my guilt at not having something new to post has been crushing me! I had a second scene planned for this chapter in my outline, but this was a decent stopping point and allowed me to release what I had. (Besides, I think it may work better to put that scene at the beginning of next chapter anyways.)  
It wasn't just my classwork that slowed me down, though. My refrigerator died during the heatwave, and I had to replace three parts of my computer. Further, my animation classes heavily relied on that computer, so I then had to play a bit of catch-up in an already fairly intense program. Further still, I lost some of my work on "Birth of Angel" in that mess and I had to rewrite some of my notes as well as the beginning of this chapter.  
Yeah yeah yeah... excuses and sob stories. Still, I'm thrilled to finally have something new for you guys and gals! I hope you like it. I'll be honest and say I'm not sure how I feel about it, so please let me know. Perhaps being out of the saddle for so long has made me too paranoid about my quality, or perhaps it hasn't made me paranoid enough! (For reference as to what I consider to be "quality work": My least favorite chapter of this story is "Flicker", and my favorite chapters are "Caliber", "Three-Humped-Camel", and "There Is No 'I' In 'Pregnant'".)  
Finally, I'm aware that there isn't too much in the way of real plot in this chapter. Next chapter will really ramp up Judy and Nick's plot, so don't you worry!  
_

 ** _Sincerely,_**

 **-Wayward**

* * *

CHAPTER THIRTEEN:

" _A WARM WELCOME"_

* * *

Asparagus.

It was what his bunny had asked for and – jittery father-to-be that he was – Nick hadn't wasted a _second_ in rushing out to the store and obtaining the requested vegetable! With every passing day he had found himself more and more eager to pamper Judy, a subdued paranoia convincing the fox that every additional comfort was somehow _vital_ to the health of his female and their unborn daughter! He couldn't help it. It was _instinct_. Nick was going to protect and provide for his girls, and there wasn't a grocery clerk in the _world_ that could stand in his way!

 _Because if my rabbit wants a bundle of asparagus, by god she's going to GET a bundle of asparagus!_ Nick growled under his breath, taking the turn onto Mowgli Drive which would lead him back home. _And don't try to tell me that you're out! Not when I can smell more in the back of the store!_

Ohhhh yes. There had been _hell_ to pay for that little lie; Nick had made _quite_ the scene. In the end he'd left the store strutting and victorious, a certain lazy employee's job in question.

 _Serves him right..._

Nick parked his convertible in their apartment complex's parking lot and took a moment to breathe out the rest of his anger. This wasn't like him, letting something so small get to him. He knew that. But he figured his season was still partly to blame. The fox had discovered that his Suppressants did just that: _Suppress_ , not _erase_. All they did was give him a little more sanity... a little more _control_ when it came to his decisions. The pills weren't magic. Whatever emotions he had were still buried beneath the surface somewhere; the Suppressants simply made it his choice as to whether or not he would _follow_ those emotions...

In this case, the love of Nick's life had demanded asparagus and a random idiot had made the poor decision to get in his way.

 _I had a responsibility,_ he decided, reasoning with his pride. _I regret nothing!_

A warm exuberance flooded the tod's body, filling him to the brim with his small triumph. It was downright _silly_ , really (after all, it was just asparagus!), but he couldn't help but grin and wag his tail. He'd pulled through for his female; there was hardly a feeling he liked better.

 _Careful, Wilde,_ the cynical side of his brain tried to warn him. _Pretty soon you'll be a mindless slave, catering to her every desire..._

The other side of him – the better side, he decided – shot right back. _And since when haven't we been her little slave, hm? Tell me that! She's had you wrapped around the digits of her paw since day one!_

There was a brief silence in his head.

 _...Technically since day two, but touché._

Nick grabbed the bag of goodies he'd bought and exited his vehicle, making his way to the apartment with a whistle on his lips and a bounce in his step. Reaching for the doorknob, apprehension set in as he discovered that it was locked, his face frowning. Giving the knob a jiggle just to make sure, his ears flicked to attention when the sudden sound of rushing feet came from the other side of the threshold – feet which were _not_ approaching to unlock the door! The pieces of the puzzle began to click into place...

"Carrots?" he yelled as he reached for his keys. "You better not be doing what I _think_ you're doing...!"

The thudding became louder. More frantic. It was as though she were rushing to hide something.

 _...She is, isn't she? Dammit!_

Nick began working the lock on the door, the contraption as sticky as always; luckily for him, however, he'd previously discovered that it unlocked _much faster_ if he pushed down while he turned the key! It was a trick Judy apparently hadn't been prepared for. The doe's face froze with mortified shock as her fox came barreling through the entryway. She ran.

" _Freeze_ , rabbit!" Dropping the bag on the couch, Nick closed the gap. "Paws where I can see them! _Now."_

There was a faint ripping sound as Judy pulled a paw away from her neck, a choked whimper coming from the doe as she did so. A small tuft of her fur was held in her palm. As she relaxed – her shoulders slumped in shame – the tuft fell from her paw and drifted to the floor, meeting what appeared to be a couple other tufts like it.

Nick sighed. "Show me."

"...No." Her voice was almost childish.

 _Well if she's going to act like a child, so be it._

Nick's voice became stern. "Judith Laverne Hopps, you will show me your neck _this instant_ , or-"

His rabbit whirled around, her paw pointing a digit at his chest. "-Don't you treat me like I'm a child!"

It was the opening the fox had planned for. Grabbing his rabbit by the paw, Nick pulled her in and kissed her, caressing the back of her head while her tiny mouth grumbled into his. He eventually broke it off, chuckling while he put a digit of his paw beneath her chin and stared into her eyes. "My, my. Aren't _you_ a grumpy bunny today?"

Judy huffed. "It's a side effect of having to put up with you."

"Mm hm. I'm sure." The tod immediately took advantage of the current position of his paw, easily tilting her chin up to take a look at his doe's neck. His ears flicked back as he winced. Judy's fur was uneven from all of her pulling, her irritated skin showing through at a couple of spots. It was normal for rabbits to pull out some of their dewlap fur – it was an instinctual part of nesting – but normally they didn't hurt themselves in the process. Bonnie had warned Nick that Judy might be the kind to be excessive (eliciting not even the slightest bit of surprise from the fox), tasking him with keeping an eye on her daughter. As it turned out, Bonnie had been right. Nick's breath hissed as he inhaled. "That's pretty bad, Fluff."

"Nobody asked you." Judy swatted his paw away, resigned at her easy defeat.

Nick gritted his teeth, resisting a comeback. _Leave it, Slick. She's in a mood today. The morning sickness probably didn't help._

"Besides," she continued. "I'm losing my mind here! You don't know what it's like, going about your business every day, trying to resist some stupid, physical urge to do something you don't want to do!"

 _Uh, really? I don't understand, do I?_ His internal voice was facetious. Biting his tongue harder, Nick simply raised an eyebrow in response.

Apparently his look had been enough; Judy quickly realized that the fox did, in fact, _intimately_ understand such a struggle given his season! She sighed, thudding her forehead against his chest. "...Ugh. I really need to think before I speak sometimes, don't I?"

"I plead the Fifth on that one, Carrots." Nick hummed in amusement, petting her now-drooping ears.

Judy giggled, tickling his chest. "I'm sorry. I know I shouldn't pull so much, but... but it's just so _tempting!_ You know I'm more impulsive than you..."

"You? _Impulsive?"_ Nick gasped, bringing a paw to his chest in flippant astonishment. "Say it isn't so!"

Judy smirked, rolled her eyes, then nestled her cheek back against his chest, the two mammals giving a unified exhale of satisfaction from the simple contact. The pregnancy had already begun getting to Judy, Nick knew. Given the uniqueness of the pregnancy, Judy had been granted more maternity leave than usual – a fact which would've been a blessing for most mammals but was a curse for Judy. She'd only just begun her leave and already she was bored out of her mind! She needed to be _doing_ something! Instead she was stuck with idle paws, worrying about every little thing that might be going wrong with their kit's development.

 _I may have a bit of a solution for that..._

Nick took a moment to congratulate himself on his brilliance; during his excursion for the asparagus he'd made a quick detour to get a surprise for his rabbit. He was just about to go show it to her too, but Judy's next words stopped him in his tracks:

"Did you manage to get the celery?"

Celery.

Not asparagus. _Celery_.

Knowing that he had heard correctly before leaving the apartment – that she _had_ requested _asparagus_ – Nick tightened his gaze on the treacherous ball of fuzz in his arms. His next words were icy cool. "You mean asparagus... _right_ , Upchuck?"

"Um..." Judy bit her lip, her eyes looking away nervously. That said it all.

 _She... she planned this!_ Fresh frustration (or was it anger?) entered Nick's veins as he realized his partner's ruse. Nick's ears folded back against his skull, his tail lashing across the floor. He stormed off toward the bedroom, growling as he accidentally hit his head on the overhanging tree root in the hallway. "You've got some nerve, rabbit."

Her voice came from behind him. "Nick... Nick, _wait!_ I'm sorry!"

"You lied to me! I practically went to war for that asparagus, and you _lied_ to me! You... liar!" Nick closed the door between them, sitting on his haunches and collecting his breath. Objectively, he could appreciate her guile; emotionally, he felt used. She had given him a random task – sent him out of the apartment – just so that she could be alone to pull at her dewlap. Judy had wasted his time and energy.

 _It's not a big deal,_ he reasoned with himself, rubbing his throbbing head. _It's just a stupid little spat. She's always been a sly, impulsive, emotional little bunny. You know this. Usually you love her for it. Just breath, give it a few minutes, forgive her, and move on. This isn't worth it._

It really wasn't. If he could forgive her for the press conference and _she_ could forgive _him_ for his Night Howler stint, then lingering on asparagus would just be _stupid_.

 _Besides, it's about time you had a fight about something NORMAL for a change!_

That last thought brought a smirk to his face. Waiting a bit for his headache to subside, Nick finally stood up and made his way back to the living room. If he had any doubt left in his mind regarding whether or not to forgive his rabbit, it immediately disappeared at the sight before him: Judy's small gray body curled up on the couch, sobbing next to the bag he'd brought in. She looked miserable.

"Judy...?" Nick quietly walked up to the couch, the doe adamantly determined to stay in her world of self-hatred. He tapped her shoulder. "Judy."

She curled her shoulder further underneath her. Her voice was squeaky. Barely audible. "...I don't want to lose you again..."

The fox's eyes went wide. How the heck had she jumped to such a drastic conclusion!? Sure he'd got a little... _loud_ , but he'd been headed to the _bedroom_ , not out of her _life!_ Guilt immediately sank into his gut as he fathomed the pain he'd caused her from such a simple dispute. Clearly her hormones were getting to her, perhaps even more so than what would be expected from a normal pregnancy. He made a mental note to call their veterinarian and ask about it later.

"You're not going to lose me, Fluff." His voice was as sweet as he could make it.

A few choked breaths resonated from the depths of the couch cushions, then another timid reply. "...Yes I am! I just mess everything up, a-and make you mad, a-a-and then you leave me!"

Nick rolled his eyes. "Do I get a say in the matter?"

There was silence. The silver ball of fur shriveled into an even smaller form. Impenetrable.

 _...Great job there, Slick. Now what?_

The former con-mammal looked around the room for inspiration, a grin coming to his face when his eyes fell upon his shelf of vinyl records. Quietly clearing his throat, Nick grabbed one of the records and yelled in sudden horror. "Oh my god!"

Judy's head shot straight up out of the cushions of the couch, her ears raised in alarm, nose twitching. "What? _What!?"_

"The Velvety Pipes of Jerry Vole!" He pointed to the record in his paw and made the most obnoxious smile possible. "...But on vinyl. Who still uses _vinyl?_ "

Judy blinked, then sniffed. "...Ha."

"Was that a laugh?" Nick inched closer.

"...No."

His voice became singsong. " _That_ was a _laaaaugh!_ "

"No," the bunny frowned, stubborn. "No it wasn't."

Nick went deadpan, eyelids half-closed. "Gee, you really know how to wallow, don'tcha?"

"Riiiiiight," she shot right back in an indignant tone. "This, coming from a fox who tortured himself with Night Howlers for a week because of an unexpected sex-bite?"

 _...She's got you there. Quick, turn on the charm!_

"Just one more reason why we're perfect for each other..." Leaning in with an adoring smile, Nick's tongue gingerly began licking away his rabbit's tears. That was the last straw for Judy, a smile finally breaking her lips. He brought their faces nose-to-nose. His voice was patronizing. "There. Now was that so hard?"

Scritching her fox's chin with a paw, the rest of Judy's body slowly relaxed. "...Yes. Yes it was. You're a jerk. You scared me!"

" _I_ scared _you?_ " he tittered. "You were curling up so tight I thought you were going to get stuck that way! _Then_ what was I going to do with you, huh? Use you as a _pillow?_ "– Judy lightly bopped him on the chest for the remark. –"Now, are you going to tell me what got you so worked up or not?"

"Well..." Immediately her paw brought itself up to her dewlap as though it had a mind of its own. Nick quickly batted it away.

"Ah ah ah! NO. _Bad_ bunny." Nick raised an eyebrow, challenging the glare of the eyes before him. "You were saying..."

Judy's posture became downcast; her eyes searched the floor, her ears drooped, and her paws dug themselves into her lap. She took a breath before speaking. "...She hasn't _kicked_ yet, Nick..."

 _Oh._

" _Judy_..." Nick's pupils dilated as he gave a tender smile, brushing the cheek of the worried mother before him. He couldn't blame her in the slightest. (After all, he'd recently acted like a bundle of asparagus was a life-or-death commodity!) "There's no reason to think something is wrong. She's probably just a late bloomer."

"...But what if I'm doing something wrong? What if-"

Giving his doe a light peck on the lips, he silenced her. "Just blame _me_ , Upchuck! It's _my_ fault. She's probably taking after me a little. I mean... when have I _ever_ been on time for anything?"

That drew a snort.

"Besides," he continued, reaching for the bag and bringing it between them. "I'm way ahead of you, Carrots. I figured you'd get a little restless, so I stopped by Barns & Stable and got you something."

Judy reached into the bag, eyes tearing up slightly as she brought out a small stack of books on babies and parenting. "Nick, I-"

"Wait wait wait!" the tod interrupted, too proud and excited about his gift. He flipped the pages for her. "I know how you like your research and homework and... see? Look! Some of these even have little assignments you can give yourself! While I'm stuck doing patrols with McHorn, you can be learning everything there is to know! You'll put me to shame!"

"Nick, this is... this is _perfect._ Thank you! And-" She paused, her eye catching one more book in the bag. She brought it out, a mixture of disgust, amusement, and fascination swirling across her face all at once. In her paw was a trashy romance novel. "And what is _this_ for?"

"Well, pregnant or not, a bunny still has needs..." Nick slowly and deliberately licked his fangs, his voice mischievous; he enjoyed embarrassing his bunny. "It can be a substitute while you wait for the real thing."

"Why wait?" Her feminine voice was suddenly quite sultry.

"Um... what?"

This was not the reaction he'd been expecting.

"I said-" Crawling onto the fox's lap, Judy seductively licked the corner of her lips. "Why wait? I've got the real thing right here, don't I? So let's start this conversation over. What do you say?"

 _Yes, you idiot! If you ever thought you were smart, say yes!_

He nodded, a bit too ungraceful and eager. Judy smirked, satisfied with the look of the dumbstruck mess of russet fur beneath her. She slid her paws down his chest, lower and lower...

"Well then... Welcome home, foxy..."


	14. The Best Laid Plans

**AUTHOR** **UPDATE :** **I apologize, but I'm officially putting this story on hiatus. I need to put my life before this story, and I hope you understand. I have had no reasonable amount of time with which to work on this story, and it's not fair to you if I didn't admit it. I hope my hiatus won't be for very long, but I currently have no clue as to when I might get the time to write again. I am embarrassed and frustrated that I have to make this decision, but my life is far crazier (and far _better_ ) than it was when I started all of this. As always, I wish you all the best.**

 **11/15/2017 UPDATE: Recently, a close family member passed away. Not only has this been hard on me and my family, but it has also put me behind in my classes and at my job. It may still be quite some time before I can post anything again, but I have not forgotten.  
**

 **Author's Note:** _Okay, so this is the longest gap yet between updates. I have now obtained a new job so that I can sustain my education until its completion; back when I started writing, I had far less going on in my life. I'm finding this slow pace just doesn't work for the story I'm trying to tell! Not only is it making it significantly harder to keep the quality consistent, but I can hardly expect you fine folks to remember all of the details I need you to remember!_

" _So how are you going to fix it, Wayward?" you may be asking yourselves. Well, I'm thinking I'm likely going to do what I did for "Animal Instinct": Write a bunch of pre-written rough-drafts and snippets before posting again, so I can artificially keep a good pace and have an easier time with overall quality control. If I go that route, it may be even longer before the next chapter. (Think of it like waiting for "Season 2".) Either way, there are tons of wonderful stories with better schedules whose authors deserve your attention! I hope you will stick with me despite the waits, but I will understand if not._

 _On a different note: I need to give a HUUUUUGE shoutout to the wonderful folks over on ZNN! Not only was "Birth of Angel" recently featured on their site, but I think I never remembered to thank them for featuring "Animal Instinct" (which is a bit of a, *ahem!*, "faux-paw"). They also surprised me by featuring a "Left4Dead2 / Zootopia" crossover pic I threw together, as well as a "Stranger Things / Zootopia" crossover trailer I made while sick! (I think I'm close to winning ZNN Feature Bingo, now!) If for some reason you don't know ZNN: It's a wonderful hub for the Zootopia fandom, and you should totally check them out!_

 _...And as for my personal life, my classes are going awesomely! Next term I will be getting to learn from an instructor who has worked on a ton of amazing films including... (wait for it)... ZOOTOPIA! He animated a nice selection of the main characters in certain shots, so I can't wait to learn from him!_

 _Now, regarding the story: Holy cow! We're at 106 followers on this site, and an additional 44 subscriptions on AO3! I never thought so many people would be interested in my crazy scribbles! You all really flatter me, and I appreciate it. I know I've been slipping on responding to comments, but I'd like to stop padding my wordcount with this already-massive note. Please know that I love that you guys are inspired to comment! Now please enjoy a chapter which finally introduces some very important pieces to the board..._

 ** _Sincerely,_**

 **-Wayward**

* * *

CHAPTER FOURTEEN:

" _THE BEST LAID PLANS"_

* * *

Bathed in a rare beam of sunlight streaming through the bedroom window, two blissfully breathless forms were sprawled across rumpled sheets, fur disheveled and bodies flooded with endorphins. To call the tryst passionate would've been a disservice much in the same way as it would've been a disservice to call a volcano "warm"! In fact, the comparison was doubly-apt; like molten lava hissing as it reaches the ocean, so too were the fox and rabbit exhaling warm sighs as their bodies – practically liquefied from pleasure – slowly cooled and solidified in the afterglow of exhausted contentment.

It was within this afterglow, settling as an immobile rabbit-shaped rock atop the bed, that Judy eventually made her first attempt at coherent speech. "That was... I mean... That was really...!"

"- _Wilde?_ " offered Nick, a proud grin revealing his canines.

"Ugh... Don't ruin it."

Nick simply snickered, then stretched his lithe form across the bed with a squeaky, wide-mouthed yawn that prompted his ears to hug his head and his paws to knead the air. This was followed up with a satisfied smacking of his chops as he brought his arms to rest behind his head. The resulting pose left absolutely nothing to the imagination. "If the tree is a rockin', don't bother knockin'!"

Like two partners in crime, the spent animals gave each other knowing looks before high-fiving across the space between them. It seemed appropriate.

"Well, if I wasn't already pregnant, that sure would've done it..." remarked Judy, the pair absentmindedly staring at the ceiling for no reason in particular. They let the moment linger, calm, and settle into comforting heaviness. A large brown paw eventually drifted across the small divide and came to rest upon Judy's rounded stomach, idly rubbing it. Returning the sentiment, Judy's smaller paws met the larger one as her head turned toward the source of the affection. "You know we can't keep this a secret for much longer, right...?"

"Ugh... Don't ruin it," Nick mimicked with a groan. After a fleeting smirk, the tod's face returned to looking serious. "But... I supposed I can't argue with you there, Fluff. Much as I'd like to..."

 _That... was easier than I thought_ , Judy observed, mildly curious. After all, they'd been doing their best to stay out of the spotlight for as long as possible. Of the minimal number of mammals they'd informed about the pregnancy, few had actually been told the full truth: Bogo (who respected the gravity of the situation), their vet (who was held by patient confidentiality), and Judy's parents (who were prone to worry, and for that reason alone could keep their mouths shut). The small pawful of others had been led to believe that the pregnancy wasn't out of the ordinary. But even so – half-truths or not – neither animal quite liked the idea of the media picking up on their personal lives. They'd kept things on the down-low; Judy hadn't expected her fox to be so receptive to going public.

Sighing, Nick easily picked up on his rabbit's surprise. "Look... Some are already getting suspicious. I'd rather we were left alone, but that's not gonna' happen."

Judy raised an eyebrow, implying he should continue.

"Ah... At the store today there was a story about us," he provided, waving his other paw in the air before dropping it back down onto the mattress. "One of those fake news magazines. Had a shot of me on patrol with McHorn, looking tired, and a shot of you looking like, uh... like you _are_ , except the picture was doctored a bit. They claimed I was leaving you because I found out you were impregnated by some sort of secret sex-cult or something... I almost bought a copy! For _posterity_ , of course. Would've been _great_ , framed on our wall!"

The muscles on Judy's face formed the best "I'm not amused" expression they could muster.

"Yeesh... Tough crowd..." grimaced Nick, backpedaling. "Point is: If a magazine like _that_ is beginning to put two-and-two together, it won't be long until more reputable mammals start doing the same, only better. I guess... I guess I'd rather be in control of it when they find out?"

"Yeah... My thoughts exactly." The rabbit scooted over against her fox's side, propping her head upon his shoulder and draping an arm across his chest. She let the familiar scent of fresh fox musk warm her mind while she finished nestling into his thick russet fur. "But I was thinking... What if we beat them to it? It's not like we have to tell them _everything..._ "

"Mmm..." Nick leaned over and gently nibbled Judy's head. "Sly bunny... I've been a bad influence on you!"

Giggling, the doe continued. "What if we just told them we were pregnant? Let them make assumptions? That should satisfy them, I'd think. Benjamin certainly seemed thrilled enough!"

"That... That could work!" The fox's ears raised with interest, his tail beginning to flick. "Okay, Carrots. You've sold me. That's a pretty good plan."

"Not so dumb after all, huh?" she grinned. _This_ is why they made such a good team: Whatever life threw their way, they managed to find a way through it together. "So... How do you think we should break the news?"

"Oh, that's easy..." Nick chuckled and looked at Judy, an ornery gleam in his eyes. "I think we know _just_ the fox...!"

* * *

The fennec was suspicious. _Very_ suspicious.

The couple had been sitting in the radio studio for only a few minutes and already Finnick was getting the feeling like something was up. It wasn't that he didn't _appreciate_ their presence; interviews with Nick and Judy always gave a sizable boost to the ratings. Further, although the little fox had worked hard to get his current job (even going so far as to improve his speech), he _did_ owe his friends for the opportunity. Still, it also wasn't a _personal_ visit... Had the two invited him to lunch – talked to him _privately_ – perhaps the mixed signals he was seeing wouldn't have put him on edge. As it was, Nick and Judy had an impressive (and often dramatic) history when it came to those wonderful things known as "the public" and "the truth"...

It was a history he'd witnessed with a front-row seat.

 _Yeah... I'm not going through THAT again...!_

Back when he and Nick had first met Judy at Jumbeaux's it had seemed like nothing new when they'd conned her. Later, when Judy had blackmailed Nick in return, the fennec had been too amused to notice the start of their peculiar little pattern. But then... then it had been up to Finnick to bring the pair back together so that they could trick _Bellwether,_ and the aftermath of _that_ had led to Finnick eventually playing a crucial role in Nick's idiotic Night Howler scheme! With each hustle the stakes had become higher and Finnick's involvement had become more pronounced.

...No.

He could see where this train was heading, and he wanted _off._

 _I like you guys, but you're going to be the death of me..._ he grumbled to himself. Finnick subtly squinted his eyes from impending stress as he stared at the blinking lights on the console before him; there were only a few moments until it was time to go on air. He took one last opportunity to assess the situation:

The public had started to notice that Nick and Judy were no longer working together at the precinct. Further, as far as anyone could tell, Judy hadn't been on patrol for a while now...

Seemingly in response to the rumors, the fennec's two friends had come to him and suggested an interview. Whatever they had to say, they apparently wanted to say it to someone who they thought wouldn't pry too hard...

Nick was using his con-mammal smile. Clearly he was hiding something...!

And Judy was wearing loose clothes which appeared to conceal a considerable gain in weight. Also, what was up with her neck? Finnick didn't know what a pregnant bunny smelled like (why would he?), but that felt like the clearest explanation. Except...

Except apparently they weren't marking each other anymore, and neither of them were wearing rings. Fin knew Nick; Nick was a romantic. He wouldn't raise kits like that...

So had they really split up? Was that it? No... that _couldn't_ be it. Not when they'd arranged this together, and certainly not when they kept on sneaking obnoxious little lovesick glances like they'd been doing ever since their arrival! The two were still hopelessly smitten...

Which meant they were pulling something. That had to be it. They were pulling something, and they expected Finnick to play along. Nothing else made any sense!

 _Ugh..._ he groaned as veins of pain coursed through his forehead. _Can't I ever see these two WITHOUT them giving me a headache?_

Well, whatever the case may be, he supposed he was about to find out. With a tap of a button, the mic went live. "Ah, an oldie but a goodie! That was 'Thriller' by the late Michael Packson. You're currently tuned to A11.3, KZZL... ' _The Howl'!_ The time is 6:29pm."

A press of another button ran a prerecorded jingle, signaling a segue into his usual talk-show segment. "Thanks for joining us, folks. I'm your main male Finnick and it's about time for another night of _'What Does the Fox Say?'_ , the show where I talk about whatever I want and everyone else just has to _deal_ with it! Joining me again tonight are two famous freaks who can't ever seem to leave me well enough alone... officers Nicholas Wilde and Judith Hopps! Welcome back to the studio, you two."

Leaning toward the mic, Nick's smirk deepened. "Aw _shucks_ , big guy! You just say the _sweetest_ things...!"

"...Sure. We'll go with that." The fennec ignored the short giggle from Judy. "So... cutting to the chase: There's been quite a bit of speculation forming around you two lately, and I'm sure our listeners are curious... What exactly is going on? Is it true that you aren't working with each other right now?"

It was Judy's turn to lean in toward the mic."That is ac- yes! That is accurate. Yes."

"Hmm..." Finnick raised an eyebrow. "Can you explain that for us? Some would say it's been a long time coming. After all, isn't it against ZPD regulations for you guys to be involved with each other?"

Judy suddenly looked nervous. (Nick, on the other paw, simply glared at his pint-sized friend with a look of unamused betrayal.) Collecting herself, the gray rabbit spoke back into the mic. "Are we here on official police business? No. No we are not."

"What I think my partner is trying to say, _Fin_ ," chimed in Nick, his ears back and his voice salty. "Is that we can't make an official statement regarding ZPD regulation at this time. That _said,"_ \- the tod's voice was pointed, and his eyebrows were raised - "I _can_ speculate as to why we've been allowed to stay together: That particular regulation is more of a guideline than a strict rule, and I think at this point we've _more_ than proven that we can put the job first, wouldn't you _agree?"_

...That last line wasn't a question so much as it was a challenge.

"Fair enough!" Bellowing a deep-chested laugh, Finnick relished how he'd been able to make the rabbit and fox squirm! He found that revenge truly was a delicious meal. "But that doesn't exactly answer the entire question, does it? You're currently separated on the force, and I can't help but notice that you aren't scent-marking each other anymore-"

"-That's _personal,_ " interrupted the fox. "We have our reasons for that."

"Don't tell me you're splitting up!" joked Finnick, trying to lighten the mood a little. "I've made a lot of money betting on you two! Daddy's gotta' buy himself a new car!"

"That's hardly fair," the bunny pointed out, somewhat amused. "You have inside info!"

Nick's head swiveled to look at Judy, a sense of nostalgic pride flickering across his face. " _Please_. What do you take us for? That's the best way to make a bet, Upchuck!"

There was a thing about being an animal with large ears: Usually, you were pretty good at listening to the details. For Finnick, that meant immediately picking up on the new Nick-Name. "Upchuck...? I feel like there's a story to that one!"

"There _is_ , and a certain fox had better not _tell_ it if he wants to remain breathing!" At this point Judy was standing on her chair to compensate for her height difference, staring her fox straight in the eyes.

Finnick began a new fit of laughter while Nick turned away and grabbed the mic. "Police intimidation! You all heard it! Police intimidation!"

"Are we here on official police business...?" repeated the doe, her voice dripping with threat. "No... No we are _not..._ "

"Okay, okay... Settle down, Fluff," cooed Nick as he gave a few patronizing pats to the top of her head, testing his limits. "We don't have that much time anyways. So do you want to say it, or can I...?"

Judy's face went to war over whether to scream or sigh. The latter quickly won, the bunny melting back down into her chair. "Fine... You can say it Nick. I know how badly you want to."

 _Here it comes..._ thought the fennec, bracing for whatever chaos was about to be unleashed.

"Let's just say that there's a, uh... _bun_ in the oven!"

...And there it was. Bad joke and all.

They really _were_ pregnant!

 _I was right! But... but... That leaves so many questions. So. Many. Questions!_

"What the _hell_ , Nick!?" blurted the little fox as his baritone voice took charge where his brain could not. "You decide to have children and _this_ is how you tell me?"

"I, uh... Yeah. I've got nothing."

"And what about the scent-marking, then? Sure, you're aaaaall for it when it's broadcast on live TV, but then you guys suddenly stop _now?_ During your season? While Judy's _pregnant?_ Do you get just how many levels of _weird_ that is?"

Nick raised a digit of a paw. "Ah. Let me remind you of what the word _'personal'_ means: It's a word somebody uses when they want to keep something to _themselves..."_

Crossing her arms, Judy joined in. "Or in other words... None of your business."

"Fine. Whatever." Finnick looked at the clock, muttering under his breath. He couldn't fixate on something they weren't going to explain; he didn't have the time. He forced himself to move on. "Well then, congratulations anyways! That's still wonderful news! I'm sure all of Zootopia will be rooting for you two! Although... I hate to think what your children will be like with _you_ as their parents..."

The little fox gave a dramatic shudder for emphasis.

"We're only having _one_ , thankfully," defended Judy. "And she's going to be _perfect!"_

"Uh huh. Of _course_ she is," Finnick mocked, rolling his eyes. He couldn't act more sarcastic if he tried. "I'm just _suuuuure_ she's going to be a perfect little _angel-"_

"-GAH!" A sudden shriek of pain erupted within the small recording room, all eyes turning to the source: Judy. Her paws were hovering over her stomach, quivering; it was as though she were afraid to touch it. All of the fur on Nick's body raised with worry, the red fox watching intently as Judy's wide eyes suddenly began to water and an exuberant smile quickly replaced the pain and shock which had preceded it. "Oh my god... Nick! _Nick Nick Nick!_ She kicked! She actually _kicked!_ "

All attention suddenly locked upon his doe, Nick's posture quickly transformed into the giddiest, happiest, stupidest excitement Finnick had ever seen from the fox. His tail was fully raised and wagging, his ears were sky-high, and his limbs seemed to have a tough time deciding between acting paralyzed or waving without reason. "You're kidding! Really!?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure she- OW!" The rabbit lurched against the back of her chair. "There she went again! She- _ACK!_ Geez! You can quit it now, you little- AH! Pain. _Stop._ PAIN!"

The entire discussion had been derailed, and Finnick forgotten. The parents-to-be were in their own little world. The fennec simply watched as it all played out.

"Are you sure!?" Nick was frantic with glee. "Nothing's wrong? She's _kicking!?_ "

"Pretty darn sure! She's- GOD WOULD YOU STOP IT FOR JUST ONE SECOND!" Judy was suddenly yelling and pointing at her stomach; out of context, she would've looked like a lunatic. "She's being a little _ass_ is what she's being!"

Nick was too excited to care. "And what about her feet!? Can you tell!? Are they fox feet, or rabbit feet!? What's she _like!?_ "

"I think, I _think_... They're rabbit feet!" The bunny abruptly grabbed her fox's head and pulled it to her stomach. " _Here!_ Second opinion!"

Only a brief moment went by before another lapine yelp of pain filled the room. The tod raised his head, wide-eyed and gently rubbing his cheek. "Wow... That's quite the kick! Those _have_ to be rabbit feet! That's _wonderful!_ I _LOVE_ your feet!"

As the pair devolved into a snuggling mess of giggles and awe, Finnick sat on the sidelines, dumbfounded. He knew he'd had questions going into this interview, but suddenly he had _so many more._ The one he finally asked was perhaps the most obvious. "...Why _wouldn't_ she have rabbit feet?"

And with that, Finnick existed once again; the bubble of parental excitement had been popped. Heads slowly turned towards him while ears lowered, pupils becoming pinpricks as they realized the proverbial cat was out of the bag. Their reaction was the last piece of information the fennec needed.

It all made sense:

The lack of marking...

The secrecy...

The strange comments about the _feet..._

"Oh my god...!" Finnick gasped as it hit him. "You _didn't...!"_

The fox and the rabbit stared at the microphone, gulping.

"You _did!_ I can't believe it!" The little fox suddenly hugged his chest, laughing so hard that tears began pouring out of his eyes. "You knocked her up! You actually _knocked her up!"_

* * *

The room was large and cold, dimly lit by a single lamp and a pawful of candles. The decorations – antiques from times gone by – were perfectly preserved in their original positions, frozen in place by the ice which coated every surface. The fur of any mammal who entered the room always stood on end, chilled not from the ice but from the feeling of death which was permanently saturating the room. It was a room filled with old values and even older loyalties. Blood, money, and honor: _Those_ were the words which might define it.

They were also words which were near and dear to the arctic shrew who _owned_ it.

Digits of his paw drummed against the tiny wooden chair upon which he sat, his emerald ring glistening in the candlelight like solidified venom. Behind him, stoically standing in a dark corner, a massive polar bear gestured the sign of the cross upon his chest.

"Viktor, my friend," spoke the shrew, his voice filling the empty space around him with an authority far larger than his tiny stature. "Have I become too soft in my old age? Have I made myself... _obsolete?"_

Viktor Koslov knew better than to answer Mr. Big; he'd been Big's right-paw male ever since the early days. The shrew was simply ruminating... _planning_. The polar bear knew this, and stood silently.

Sighing, Mr. Big leaned back in his chair to think. The recent news put him in an unfortunate situation. He'd accepted Nick and Judy into his family out of gratitude, and had even looked the other way when they'd entered an interspecies relationship. But science had convinced him that the pair could never conceive a child.

 _I've grown complacent..._ he realized.

Scripture had warned of this – warned of the dangers of such a consummation – and he'd ignored it. Prey and predators were forbidden from physical union. The Word of Nature clearly spoke of a mixed child, one who could topple the careful balance of the world. Out of his laziness and ignorance, he'd allowed such a child to be conceived.

Mr. Big dismissively waived a paw in the frigid air. "Ah, mistakes are mistakes. To question them _now_ would be a waste of time... What matters is what comes next."

Even if the shrew ignored the scripture upon which he'd been raised, the hybrid kit was still a threat to his world. Tiny though he may be, Mr. Big was still a predator (as were most animals in his employ), and being a predator gave you an important edge: Fear. It was one of the primary resources which allowed the businesses of Zootopia's underbelly to thrive.

But if mixed mammals were allowed to exist...? That edge would disappear.

Predators were small in number. In the light of normal society that fact would be a burden, but... in the darker world of crime, being a predator gave you a power which few others had. If predators started having children with prey, that power would be diluted; higher and higher percentages of the population would have predator traits, and the fear would disappear like water down a drain. Mr. Big's empire – his _legacy_ – would be ruined.

 _This cannot be allowed,_ he confirmed to himself, rubbing his temple. _It is my responsibility._

"Viktor," he finally commanded. "Bring me to my daughter. Perhaps she can make those two see _reason_..."

Yes. He would give them a chance to make the right choice – he owed them that much – but he couldn't allow them to have the child. One way or another, he would force them to come to an understanding. It was the only way. For although he may be evolved, deep down he was still an animal...

...And animals made sure they'd survive.


End file.
